The man arrested in connection with a series of muggings in Table Mountain National Park appeared frail and perplexed during his second appearance in Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
Also read: Two more robbed at gunpoint on Lion’s Head over the weekend
The family of the 23-year-old man sat nervously in the public gallery, resisting the urge to wave as he walked up the steps from the holding cells.
He stood at the dock’s rails as the State pointed out that he had no previous convictions and no pending cases.
However, News24 reports that he has an intellectual disability, the specifics of which have not been revealed.
When magistrate Alida Theart learned of this, as well as the fact that he had previously attended a special needs school, she expressed concern about his mental age and how the case would be handled.
The law makes an exception for people under the biological or mental age of 18, allowing the presiding officer to appoint a court intermediary on their behalf.
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The man’s family offered to bring a report from his school, which contains information on its assessments of him, to give Theart some insight into how to proceed with his case.
He may not be identified because two of the five charges against him involve attempted rape, and he has yet to enter a plea.
The other charges are two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and one count of assault with grievous bodily harm in an attack on Dutch and Japanese tourists on the scenic Slangolie Trail near Camps Bay on January 21.
A series of attacks in December and January in Table Mountain National Park alarmed visitors to the mountain.
His address must still be verified prior to applying for bail.
He initially provided an address on Roeland Street near Parliament, which appears as a parking lot on a map.
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Many homeless people in Cape Town live on the pavements of Roeland Street and the streets that branch off of it.
His family offered the court an address in Parow where he could stay if he was granted bail.
This address should be verified.
He is scheduled to appear in court again on February 23rd, where more information about his mental age is expected.
When the case was adjourned, he remained in the dock, seemingly unaware of the procedure.
Also read:
Lion’s Head sunset hikes postponed indefinitely due to muggings
Picture: Murray Swart