Durban - A woman who claims she was raped by a policeman was warned to “calm down” by a Pietermaritzburg magistrate while under cross-examination on Tuesday.
The former sex worker, who is testifying in the kidnapping, rape, robbery and attempted murder trial of Hilton policeman, Riaan van Rensburg, was warned by magistrate Bhekizitha Phoswa to give her evidence in a calm manner and not become hysterical.
“Calm down please. What is happening here (cross-examination) is within the confines of the law. We are all trying to get to the truth of the matter,” Phoswa said.
Van Rensburg, a 45-year-old Hilton warrant officer, pleaded not guilty to all charges in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court. His defence on the rape charge was that he had consensual sex with the 31-year-old complainant.
The woman testified earlier that Van Rensburg had subdued her by threatening her with his firearm, and also stabbed her when she resisted.
She claims the policeman also stole two cellphones.
She said on the day of the alleged incident, June 6, 2013, Van Rensburg had driven her to Hilton and turned towards a plantation. When they stopped, he instructed her to get out and take off her clothes. She remembered she was not wearing underwear. She alleges he raped her twice.
While she was dressing, he got out a backpack from the back of the vehicle and put on latex surgical gloves.
Then he took out a small silver knife and came toward her. She tried to run, she said, but Van Rensburg forced her to her knees. When she saw him lifting up the knife, she said she ducked. She was stabbed on the hand and nicked on her shoulder, the court heard. The woman claimed she managed to flee and get help.
Cross-examining the woman, who was dressed in stiletto heels, fitted skirt and a sheer chiffon top, defence advocate Brad Osbourne suggested the reason she was not wearing any underwear was because she knew she was meeting Van Rensburg to have sex.
The woman, who was testifying while seated, became very agitated at this remark and stood up in the witness stand, where she patted herself on the hip and said in an elevated voice: “I’m not wearing any underwear now; does that mean I came here to court to have sex with Van Rensburg?”
Osbourne also put it to the woman that her conduct after the rape was illogical.
He said when Van Rensburg was allegedly taking out the backpack from the vehicle, she had a chance to escape.
The woman looked at Osbourne and asked if he had ever been raped.”When you are that afraid, you become confused. At that time I was unable to think clearly,” she said.
The trial continues.
Daily News