Terrified girl, 7, screamed ‘mum, please help’ as naked paedo raped her in restaurant toilet
A TERRIFIED girl screamed “mum, please help” as a naked paedo raped her in a restaurant toilet, a court has heard.
Pervert Nicholas Ninow, 21, has pleaded guilty to two counts of rape – but denies assault – in the toilets of the Dros restaurant in Silverton, South Africa.
Prosecutors allege the September 2018 rape of the girl, then aged seven, was premeditated as he was seen "stalking his prey" as she played with other kids.
The man watched her in the play area before following her into the bathroom, one witness said.
reports that both the victim and her mum – whose identities are concealed by an order of court – testified in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday.
The girl, now aged eight, testified via CCTV, and her mother spoke from another room.
Ninow, who has also admitted possession of illegal substances, has blamed the rape on the effect of drugs, and said that he had “impulsively” sexually assaulted the child when she went into the women’s bathroom at Dros.
The press was barred from publishing his victim’s testimony, as Judge Papi Mosopa pointed out that she is a minor.
"FOLLOWED INTO TOILET"
State prosecution spokeswoman Phindi Mjonondwane said: “The girl was able to inform the court that, unlike Ninow claimed, he had in fact followed her to the toilet.
“So, he went in there with the intention to harm the child.”
The girl’s mum told the court that she had to forcibly push open the toilet door, as Ninow was trying to hold it closed.
All the while, she could hear her terrified girl crying out, saying “please help me”.
The mum, with the help of restaurant staff, struggled to get inside.
She explained: “And as we pushed harder, the person inside said ‘what do you want? You are disturbing me'.”
After they managed to force the door open, she grabbed her girl, and removed her from the bathroom.
But, she said, the image of Ninow running out of the toilet naked, and into the men’s toilets shocked her.
"CLEARLY DRUNK"
After she gave her daughter to another woman to look after, she followed him into the men’s bathroom, where she found him “wiping his private parts with my daughter’s tights and underwear.
“I asked him why he was flushing my daughter’s clothing, but he didn’t respond.”
Witnesses said that Ninow, who had been sitting next to Dros’ play area on September 22, was “clearly high and drunk”.
After the rape, photos were published showing him naked and covered in blood after an angry mob confronted him.
According to the , Ninow was called “Satan” and “rapist” by members of the public upon arriving at the court last week.
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Although his defence lawyers said he had a history of mental illness, including depression and bipolar disorder, he was considered fit to stand trial, after undergoing an evaluation at a psychiatric hospital.
reports that Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have called for the harshest sentence possible for the crime.
Ninow has pleaded not guilty to the assault charge, which is in relation to him allegedly using his belt to keep the girl's mum, and restaurant staff, away from him.
The trial has been adjourned until Monday, when a ruling is expected.
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