Taariq Phillips won't accept responsibility for raping #SharishaChauhan

According to Correctional Services officer Mmaseepa Kwakwa, Taariq Phillips, doesn’t accept the guilt of raping Sharisha Chauhan in 2013 at a rave party. Picture: Zodidi Dano/Cape Argus

According to Correctional Services officer Mmaseepa Kwakwa, Taariq Phillips, doesn’t accept the guilt of raping Sharisha Chauhan in 2013 at a rave party. Picture: Zodidi Dano/Cape Argus

Published Nov 20, 2018

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Cape Town - Taariq Phillips, found guilty of raping his girlfriend in 2013 during a rave party, doesn’t accept the guilt of raping her, according to Correctional Services officer Mmaseepa Kwakwa.

Kwakwa said Phillips only acknowledged the death of someone because of what had happened. Sharisha Chauhan died at the party, but Judge Lee Bozalek ruled it wasn’t murder.

Sentencing proceedings for Phillips resumed in the Western Cape High Court on Monday. The reports of the probation officer and Correctional Services officer were admitted as evidence.

Kwakwa testified that Phillips was a suitable candidate for correctional supervision despite the seriousness of the charge he was convicted of.

Kwakwa said Phillips was financially stable, had a fixed address and support from his family. He was also remorseful but failed to take responsibility for his actions.

“He was explaining that the other family was grieving and both his family and the victim’s family were taking strain. He said if he could take back not going to the function, he would.”

However, a family friend who had known Chauhan for most of her life, Geetesh Solanki, said Phillips showed no remorse and had left the deceased’s family with more questions.

“The pain and suffering inflicted on us is huge, the betrayal of trust we had in him (Phillips). The nature of the rapes was brutal, no mother should see something like that. He showed no remorse, disclosure or honesty till today. We still don’t know why or how it happened,” said Solanki.

Phillips’s failure to testify in court left them with questions. “They frustrated the process for four years and that in itself has generated a lot of pain and suffering,” Solanki said.

Chauhan died at midnight on January 1, 2014, while attending a rave party in Le Bac Estate in Paarl. It is alleged that at around midnight, Phillips, Chauhan and some friends took Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) commonly known as acid and ecstasy.

Earlier, Phillips’s lawyer, Craig Dunc an, applied to be excused from court proceedings due to his client’s financial constraints. Duncan said he had learnt there were no funds to pay him and the advocate.

He facilitated a process to get Phillips Legal Aid SA representation.

Judge Bozalek asked: “How does this suddenly transpire? You come to the brink of the matter and you are now withdrawing”, before granting the application and a new defence lawyer, advocate Burger Brandt was put on record.

@Zoey_Dano

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