Damages for elderly man wrongfully arrested for child rape whittled down

AN ELDERLY Mpumalanga man, who was falsely accused of raping a child and had to spend more than 16 months in jail under harrowing circumstances, before the charge was withdrawn against him, is set to receive R1.5 million in damages from the police.

- ZELDA VENTER

The now 70-year-old, only identified as MM, turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, where he claimed R30.3m in damages. This was calculated at R60,000 a day for approximately 505 days.

To make matters worse, MM was only released from prison a month after the charge was withdrawn against him. The police failed to either inform him or the prison authorities immediately after his name was cleared.

MM told the court that upon his release, he faced stigma in his community and even in his home village in Mpumalanga, where people viewed him as a child molester. This reputational damage continues to affect him and, in all likelihood, will continue to do so, Acting Judge RC Thackwell remarked.