Docket found, trial now on

TECHNOLOGY helped justice to prevail in Port Alfred after a copy of a court docket, which had gone missing, was recovered from a desktop computer.

Three suspects accused of rape and murder, who had charges against them withdrawn last year, will consequently have their day in court.
A five-year-old Port Alfred girl was allegedly raped by one of the accused in November 2008.

After being raped, the girl was set alight with the intent to kill her and she succumbed to her injuries.
The rapist was allegedly assisted by the other two suspects in setting his victim alight.

Her body was recovered the next day with multiple bruises and severe burn wounds which allegedly led to her death.
The three suspects were arrested and the matter was brought to court late in 2008.

The late Xolani Tukulu prosecuted, but for unknown reasons the docket went astray before the case could be transferred to a higher court for trial.

Tukulu‘s death in September last year caused further delays and it was suspected the docket disappeared shortly after his death.

Eventually the case was withdrawn due to the absence of the docket which contained all the information that would have been used during the trial.
Following extensive investigations no trace of the docket could be found, until finally, and by chance, it was retrieved, with notes, from a desktop computer at the Port Alfred Magistrate‘s Court.

A court insider confirmed that an extensive search finally led to the recovery of the docket and that the matter would be resumed.

“The long arm of the law was at work here,” he said.
The matter was put back on the roll and on Monday it was transferred to the Grahamstown High Court for trial and will be heard from February 1 to 5. - HENNIE MARAIS