Why Prosecutors Didn’t Add More Charges Against Mai Jeremaya’s Alleged Rapists
The State has explained why it chose not to press additional charges of aggravated indecent assault against the two men accused of raping popular socialite Mai Jeremaya.
This follows questions raised by Magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa, who wanted to know why the pair weren’t also charged with aggravated indecent assault, given allegations that they forced Mai Jeremaya to give them blow jobs.
Thabo Blessing Dube (27) and Martin Charlie (25) were arrested over the weekend and appeared in court on Monday 5 May facing rape charges.
Responding to the magistrate’s concerns, the State admitted that the court had raised valid points. It acknowledged that the alleged acts could qualify as aggravated indecent assault.
However, prosecutors argued that the oral sex was part of the same series of events as the rape itself. They claimed that the main goal of the accused was to commit rape, and therefore, it made more sense to treat everything as one offence.
“It is, however, submitted that considering that the acts constituting aggravated indecent assault appear to have taken place in a single transaction with those acts constituting rape. It also appears that the dominant intention was rape,” the State said.
They further explained that using the same evidence for both rape and aggravated indecent assault would be redundant. In their view, adding an extra charge would unnecessarily complicate the case.
“It is also worth noting that the same evidence will be used to prove the acts constituting rape and those constituting aggravated indecent assault. In the result, charging the accused with both rape and aggravated indecent assault may be an unnecessary splitting of charges,” the State reasoned.
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