Johannesburg - An IT specialist allegedly raped an 81-year-old woman who lived in the same Johannesburg high-rise building and with whom him and his fiancée shared a close bond.
The 30-year-old man was arrested after the incident. He was initially denied bail, but the decision was overturned when he made another appearance at a Johannesburg court this week, and was granted R4 000 bail.
He cannot be named at this stage, due to the nature of the charge he faces.
Since the August 29 incident, the former Durban resident who works for Standard Bank, has been barred from the building and placed on suspension by his employer.
The man and his partner, who planned to marry in April, but postponed it because of the Covid-19 pandemic, were believed to be good friends with the victim, whom they regarded as a confidante.
But it has been alleged that on the day of the incident, while the accused’s fiancée was away in Durban, the man purchased and consumed drugs.
In his drugged state, he allegedly banged on doors at the complex, harassed residents, and eventually, entered the premises of the elderly woman and raped her.
His fiancée was contacted shortly after the incident and informed that her partner had been arrested and was being held at the Hillbrow police station.
The building’s body corporate has since circulated a notice to residents which indicated the man’s bail conditions to assure residents that he had been barred from entering the complex.
Some of the bail conditions included that he must not go within 300m of the building, report to a Johannesburg police station three times a week, and cannot contact witnesses in the matter and may not leave Gauteng.
An extract from the notice read: “We believe it is highly unlikely he will come here. We have instructed security to call the police and armed response if he appears at the building.
“The accused will not be moving back into the building.”
Ross Linstrom, Standard Bank’s spokesperson said: “Standard Bank is aware of this incident. As an employer, we have the appropriate policies and procedures, guided by the Labour Relations Act and our internal procedures.
“We have initiated those and await the outcome of the legal processes.”