Desert Express suspect pleads not guilty to raping 15-year-old

A MAN accused of raping a Japanese tourist aboard the Desert Express train last year on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to a second charge of rape involving a 15-year-old girl.

Trevor Glen Pieterse (21), from Windhoek, was appearing in the Grootfontein Magistrate’s Court. Pieterse is alleged to have raped the teenager in January while out on bail for the first rape charge involving the Japanese tourist.According to a Police docket, on January 9 he allegedly took the girl, who is related to him, to a deserted house in Grootfontein’s Luiperdheuwel extension.He is alleged to have tied her hands, put paper in her mouth to prevent her from screaming and then raped her.He was arrested the same day.At his first appearance in court at Grootfontein, he was also charged with theft and housebreaking.He pleaded guilty to stealing shoes, a shirt and a key after breaking into a house at the Buitekamp extension on January 8.Magistrate Andre le Roux sentenced him to 18 months for theft.The case was yesterday postponed to June 14 for the Prosecutor General’s decision on further prosecution.Pieterse, who appeared in his green prison uniform on Tuesday, is due to appear in court at Swakopmund again at the end of the month on the first rape charge.He was granted bail of N$800 in October, and released about two weeks later after paying the bail money.He was in custody for almost two months after the incident on board the Desert Express involving a 43-year-old Japanese woman.Pieterse is alleged to have raped the teenager in January while out on bail for the first rape charge involving the Japanese tourist.According to a Police docket, on January 9 he allegedly took the girl, who is related to him, to a deserted house in Grootfontein’s Luiperdheuwel extension.He is alleged to have tied her hands, put paper in her mouth to prevent her from screaming and then raped her.He was arrested the same day.At his first appearance in court at Grootfontein, he was also charged with theft and housebreaking. He pleaded guilty to stealing shoes, a shirt and a key after breaking into a house at the Buitekamp extension on January 8.Magistrate Andre le Roux sentenced him to 18 months for theft.The case was yesterday postponed to June 14 for the Prosecutor General’s decision on further prosecution.Pieterse, who appeared in his green prison uniform on Tuesday, is due to appear in court at Swakopmund again at the end of the month on the first rape charge. He was granted bail of N$800 in October, and released about two weeks later after paying the bail money.He was in custody for almost two months after the incident on board the Desert Express involving a 43-year-old Japanese woman.