Rape case of hostel father postponed

The case of a hostel father accused of raping at least ten minor boys under his care at a hostel in Otjiwarongo for a number of years has been remanded to August for preparation of a Section 119 plea.
The case of Mervin Ngujapeua, who is charged with multiple accounts of rape he allegedly committed over the course of several years of boys under his care, was yesterday remanded to 17 August this year.
The accused and his defence lawyer Milton Engelbrecht were ordered to prepare and enter a Section 119 plea, in order for the matter to be referred to the prosecutor-general for a decision to prosecute or not and to specify the court in which the accused will be tried.
The 48-year-old hostel caretaker was denied bail in June, after the State successfully argued that it would be in the public interest for him to remain behind bars.
Following his arrest earlier this year, a number of parents and concerned residents led a public outcry, threatening a protest march should the accused be released on bail.
Earlier this year, public prosecutor Johannes Kalipi stated that the alleged victims, ranging in ages now between 13 and 17, were deeply traumatised by the events and that the accusations came to light after the first alleged incident that started at the end of 2013. Kalipi told the court that the “children trusted him as a father figure” and that Ngujapeua had “broken” that trust.
JANA-MARI SMITH