JOHANNESBURG – One of the grandchildren of late South African President Nelson Mandela has been held in custody for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl in a public restroom in Johannesburg in early August, according to press reports on Friday.In accordance with South African law, the name of Mandela’s 24-year-old grandson will not be made public until charges are officially announced, though he will be kept behind bars at least until Tuesday, when the judge will rule on possibly setting bail.
The defendant was arrested last weekend after the teenage victim filed a complaint, and he has been in prison ever since.
On Friday, he pleaded before a judge at the Magistrates Court of Johannesburg to be released on bail, but the judge postponed the decision until next week.
According to the young man’s lawyer, the defendant never coerced the victim, adding that even a statutory rape charge would be tenuous, as she told him on several occasions that she was 16 years old, the age of consent in South Africa.
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