Former pastor to hear fate over sexual assault

File photo: African News Agency (ANA)

File photo: African News Agency (ANA)

Published Oct 18, 2018

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Ashley Marinus, the former Old Apostolic Church (OAC) youth pastor who was convicted of sexual assault, will hear his fate today when he appears for sentencing at the Wynberg Regional Court.

He was convicted last month of inappropriately touching and making advances towards a teenage member of the church. He has been relieved of his duties as a youth pastor following his conviction.

Pressure had been mounting on the church to take action against him. The church also came under fire from child rights activists for allowing Marinus to join youths on a week-long trip to Botswana while he was facing the charges.

The 19-year-old victim said earlier the guilty verdict had brought closure to her. Marinus had seen her taking a picture of herself in a mirror and proceeded to touch her inappropriately.

On other occasions, he had made inappropriate remarks and advances towards her.

Lucinda Evans, a child and women’s rights activist and director of the Lavender Hill non-governmental organisation Philisa Abafazi Bethu, said she and members of the NGO would be at the court for the sentencing to support the teenager and her family. 

“Perpetrators of such crimes should face jail time,” Evans said.

Earlier, Evans said the church’s “protection” of Marinus was “telling of the church’s stance to protect perpetrators of sexual violence”.

“This was never a fight with the church. The church took a positional stance to not revoke his duties immediately when they heard of the charges brought against him,” Evans said.

Commenting for the OAC’s Western Cape district, Edrick Ipland said the church would look at implementing a child-protection policy.

The sentencing comes as South Africans rallied behind Cheryl Zondi, who faced a gruelling cross-examination in the Port Elizabeth High Court by the lawyer representing 60-year-old televangelist Timothy Omotoso, who is accused of rape and trafficking 30 girls and women to a house in uMhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, where he is accused of sexually exploiting them.

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