The stepfather accused of repeatedly raping his 10-year-old stepdaughter in Verulam, north of Durban, could not even sit up straight in the dock when he made his first appearance in the Verulam Family Court on Thursday.
The 43-year-old man, who was visibly in agony, limped as he made his way into the court room. His face was bruised and swollen.
He was injured on Monday night when residents assaulted him after it was alleged taht he had been raping the little girl since her mother's death five years ago.
The man was arrested on Tuesday. He is charged with rape, sexual grooming of children, sexual assault, and exposure or display of or causing exposure or display of child pornography or pornography to children.
Case postponed for medical report
Magistrate Irfaan Khalil had to ask the man, who wore a dirty and bloodstained lime workwear T-shirt and orange pants, to "try to stand up" in order for him to see his injuries.
His Legal Aid SA lawyer Mustaqeem Ameer told the court that his client had complained that his ribs had been fractured.
Ameer confirmed that his client had been to hospital on Monday and that he had received some medication.
"He required continued medical treatment," said Ameer.
Ameer said the accused also had "scars on top of his head" and injuries on his back and feet.
Khalil postponed the matter to June 25 in order for a medical report to be handed in regarding the man's injuries.
He would be kept in custody at the Verulam police station until his next court appearance.
Residents and neighbours of the accused came to court in their numbers. They were against the man being granted bail.
Condom in child's pocket
Sunny Moodley, 55, told News24 that the court must not be lenient towards the accused.
"They must also not give him bail," he said.
He also blamed social workers for not checking on the little girl.
"There was no social workers to see how the baby was living for about five or six months. The child was helpless, because there were no social workers monitoring a girl child staying with a man who is taking drugs and drinking," he said.
He also accused the man of forcing the little girl to sell sex to unknown men.
He said they found out about the girl's ordeal when they found a condom in her pocket.
"That's when the whole story came out and that's how we all got to know. We got frustrated and the women from our neighbourhood assaulted the man very badly. We really appreciate what the woman did to the man. He must rot in jail now," said Moodley.
He added that the man had moved into the area about six months ago. He rented a room in the area, added Moodley.
News24 reported on Tuesday that sex toys, lingerie and pornographic material were strewn around the stepfather after he was beaten by the Verulam community on Monday.
The girl had been taken to a place of safety, said Vukani Mbhele, spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development, on Wednesday.