MOPANI – A pastor in the Apostolic Church, Lazarus Raboya (51) of Bellview Village in the Bolobedu Area has briefly appeared in the Bolobedu Magistrate’s court on Tuesday on a charge of rape.

According to a police spokesperson in the Mopani Area, Capt Moatshe Ngoepe, it is alleged that Raboya had raped a 15-year-old psychiatric patient several times during the past year. According to the police statement, Raboya allegedly started raping the girl when she was still 14 years old. The statement indicates that the girl’s mother used to take her to the the pastor’s house in order for him to pray for her.

One day the girl told her mother that she was not feeling well. The mother took her to the nearby clinic for medical treatment. The nurses told the mother that the girl was pregnant. Upon questioning the girl, she revealed that the suspect had raped her during the times when she went to his house for prayers.

The girl’s mother then informed the police, who arrested the suspect over the past weekend. He was not asked to plead when he appeared in court. He was released on R1000 bail and he will appear in the same court again on December 10.

According to the police statement the victim is now six months pregnant.