Hundreds of South Africans on Tuesday staged a protest outside a Magistrate Court in Pretoria.
The court was hearing a case involving a man accused of raping a seven-year-old girl.
Police say the accused, a 20-year-old man raped the young girl in a restroom at a Pretoria franchise of the family restaurant chain Dros last month.
The man reportedly followed the girl into the women’s restroom. He then pulled the girl into a men’s washroom before raping her.
The suspect appeared at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court. He was remanded into custody and the case was adjourned to November 1.
Lawyers for the suspect had said that the accused sustained injuries during and after his arrest.
One of his lawyers, Du Plessis said the suspect was injured with a broken bottle at the restaurant from one of the bystanders.
The identity of the accused was earlier not disclosed. His lawyers argued against the media disclosing his identity and taking pictures of him.
The court however ordered for him to be photographed. His identity was later made public by South African prosecutors.
This particular case has attracted a lot of anger especially when the suspect is a white South African.
Protesters held placards with inscriptions that denounce what they call “white supremacy”.
Those who took part in the protest came from political parties, civic organizations and the general public.
South Africa is among the top countries globally with with one of the highest incidences of rape.
Many South Africans are unhappy with the country’s justice system in dealing with rapists.
It’s disgusting and telling that white owned South African media refuses to name and shame rapist, NICHOLAS NINOW! He is not #DrosRapist! His name is NICHOLAS NINOW!!! His name is NICHOLAS NINOW!!!
— Babes Womzabalazo (@NalediChirwa) October 2, 2018
My heart is in pieces for the family of & the little girl who was raped by the monster that is Nicholas Ninow. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain, deep sorrow, anger, questions they ask they cannot answers to. My thoughts are with them today. uThixo abenabo ?? #DrosRapist
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) October 2, 2018
#DrosRapist Two things stand out, Firstly, he would have killed that poor girl had he not been caught, secondly, this is clearly not the first time he has done this, this is just the first time he was caught.
— Fearless Filmmaking (@adzeugah) October 2, 2018
Why are people worried about the colour of the skin. A child has been traumatized for life and all people see is how white or black the man is #DrosRapist #Dros
— MakaLelo (@Vudicles) October 2, 2018
I look at my daughter who is 6 and ask myself how someone can look at a small body like that and think about they can be sexually satisfied. It’s ??it’s sick #DrosRapist
— Malesela Mathosa (@Germ_Stone) October 2, 2018
I don’t often weigh in on matters using Twitter, but as a dad of 2 young girls, this one is close to home…
when convicted, the #DrosRapist needs to have his balls chopped off. I’ll even volunteer to do it with a blunt knife.
— Mark Pilgrim (@MarkPilgrimZA) October 2, 2018
Woman in the grey striped dress telling the alleged #DrosRapist “You have the audacity to even hide your face after what you’ve done to that little girl…you have changed her life forever” pic.twitter.com/BxLzEnHa8z
— Nomsa Maseko (@nomsa_maseko) October 2, 2018
#DrosRapist vs Duduzane Zuma. Spot the difference. Clue: shackles… pic.twitter.com/Buysa961lW
— ??? Maggs Naidu (@maggsnaidu) October 2, 2018
#drosrapist I tend to agree with you black folk on white privilege, my daughter was raped from age 5yrs old, since his arrest March 2018 five postponements later and still has not pleaded and the accusers name may not be mentioned. He white, he’s an advocate and an acting judge.
— ShapingTheCloud (@Mike_Zietsman) October 2, 2018
Source: Africafeeds.com