Pretoria - September is the month that has officially been set down by the Pretoria Magistrate's Court for a 22-year-old man to stand trial for the rape of a minor at a Dros restaurant in Silverton.
The accused walked into Courtroom 16 on Tuesday, looking worn out and continued to weep profusely in the dock as the proceedings got under way.
The accused was previously declared fit to stand trial following his 30-day observation at the Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital earlier this year.
He was observed by a team of two psychiatrists and a psychologist, following his legal representative, Riaan du Plessis, informing the court that the accused had a history of mental illness in his family and had battled with drug abuse from a young age.
He added that to make matters even more complex, the accused had been diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder as of 2013, with incidents of self-harm and suicide attempts due to his severe depression.
Despite all that, the accused was still declared fit to stand trial.
State prosecutor, Sanet Jacobson, told the court that the state was ready to proceed with the trial and that they would ensure that the accused was afforded all the legal documentation and list of witnesses beforehand.
Du Plessis also indicated that even though he might not be the one to take on the case, Legal Aid South Africa would still provide assistance to the accused as his matter was transferred to the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria.
The trial is to commence in the high court from September 9 to 20.
* IOL will not name the suspect until he has pleaded to the charges against him.