Cape Town – A Heideveld dad was left angry and disappointed when the two men accused of raping his 14-year-old daughter were released on R1 000 bail.
The 50-year-old dad, who cannot be named, arrived at the Wynberg Magistrate's Court amid protests by women demanding that bail for Ashton Achilles, 18, and Fayden Fatar, 21, be denied.
The dad says the alleged incident happened in July after Achilles befriended the Grade 9 learner.
“She was going to the butcher and met them along the road,” the father explains.
“They took her to a council flat in Grace Court where they raped her for two hours and, according to the community, there are videos of the rape circulating on WhatsApp.
“A case was registered and we were told she was raped and sodomised.”
But in her judgment on the bail application, Magistrate Glenda Govender told the court that she found the merits of the case to be “weak”.
“The matter was heard on Friday and the court has considered the merits of the case and whether the applicants have discharged the onus that was upon them, the affidavits that were submitted as well of the investigating officer in this case and the court did consider the merits and considered it to be so weak and grant bail of R1 000 each,” Govender ruled.
Both suspects were warned against making contact with the witnesses and returning to Heideveld, and will now have to reside in Bonteheuwel and Manenberg.
The matter was postponed to 26 November for further investigations.
Outside court, the girl’s father said she was on the road to recovery but he feared sharing the outcome of the bail application with her.
He also urged anyone who has the video of his daughter’s assault to hand it over to police: “I will have to find a way to tell her and I am very disappointed in the outcome.
“I would like to appeal to any of the residents in Heideveld who have this video to come forward as this is a vital piece of evidence,” the father added.
Caroline Peters, from the Cape Flats Women’s Network, who was protesting outside court, said she was tired of rape suspects getting bail.
“Ons is alweer hier (we are here again). This is one too many.
“Another 14-year-old girl from Heideveld was gang-raped by two perpetrators known to her. Ons is gatvol (we’ve had enough). Where is the outrage?”
Daily Voice