DCS declines to confirm whether man accused of raping Hanover Park girl (9) was out on parole
The 51-year-old was taken into custody on Tuesday after police were forced to disperse a crowd that demanded he be released so the community could deal with him.
Hanover Park residents gathered outside the Wynberg Magistrates Court on 15 May 2025, where a 51-year-old man accused of raping a 9-year-old girl was expected to make his first court appearance. His appearance was moved to 16 May 2025 because of developments in the case. Picture: Lauren Isaacs/EWN
CAPE TOWN - The Department of Correctional Services has declined to confirm whether a man accused of raping a nine-year-old girl in Hanover Park was out on parole.
The 51-year-old was taken into custody on Tuesday after police were forced to disperse a crowd that demanded he be released so the community could deal with him.
The case has been pushed to Friday due to new developments, but the details have not been divulged.
Police, however, indicated that more charges could be added.
#HanoverParkRape The first court appearance of an alleged rapist from Hanover Park, did not proceed as expected today. The 51-year-old man was taken into custody after he allegedly raped a 9-year-old girl in the area, on Tuesday. LI
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) May 15, 2025
#HanoverParkRape Members of the Hanover Park community say they will be back tomorrow. LI pic.twitter.com/scMNBvZzIG
— EWN Reporter (@ewnreporter) May 15, 2025
The community claims the suspect is a convicted rapist, who was recently paroled, but this has not been confirmed by authorities.
Neighbours also said that he was known to them, although they were not aware that he had returned to the area.
Geraldine Taylor was among those gathered at court.
"People are very, very upset. Emotions are running high. Unfortunately, we come from a very impoverished community, therefore we are not here in our masses."
Another woman, who was involved in the search for the nine-year-old girl, said that her family raised the alarm when she failed to return from Muslim school on Tuesday afternoon.
She said that using video footage pulled from neighbours' home security cameras, police traced the child to the suspect's house several hours later.