BY ROMINAH FAKA
The case of a 43-year-old man accused of raping a seven-year-old boy will return tomorrow for the committal hearing.
The matter was heard in court on Monday this week where prosecution submitted to the court its committal deposition.
Court is expected to decide tomorrow whether the case has sufficient evidence to proceed to the High Court or not.
Defence has indicated Short-Form Preliminary Inquiry (PI) for the committal hearing.
Court adjourned for Friday, May 31, for ruling on the committal hearing. Bail for the accused was extended.
The accused who cannot be named to protect the identity of the alleged victim, is charged with one count of rape to which he pleaded not guilty in a previous hearing.
Prosecution alleged that the suspect on an unknown date between August 1 and December 31, 2020 committed the crime on the victim.
The incident reportedly took place at a house in Talise, Central Honiara.
The victim’s mother was reportedly doing the laundry outside the house, when the accused approached the boy and told him to follow him into the bedroom.
Once inside the room, the accused allegedly instructed the child to take his clothes off.
The accused then committed the offence on the boy.
Prosecution adds that while the accused was performing the act on the boy, the accused had a knife with which he used to threaten the boy not to make a sound, otherwise he would cut the boy’s neck.
Following the incident, the boy reportedly experienced problems which include soiling himself unexpectedly and bleeding.
Later, the boy finally told his mother what the accused had done to him.
The matter was reported to police on January 8 this year.
On April 3 this year the accused was formally arrested after an investigation was conducted.
Office of Director of Public Prosecution act for the crown and Bobby Harunari act for the accused.
