It was the last thing they were expecting at a church camp.
Two women who attended a four-day Methodist Guilders event in Humansdorp claim to have been fondled by one of the church leaders after a braai, and have now laid complaints of sexual assault with police.
The women, aged 23 and 36, reported the incident after they were allegedly kissed and groped in their beds at an Airbnb establishment in the town.
National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said police had arrested a 32-year-old man, who appeared in the Humansdorp magistrate’s court on Tuesday on two charges of sexual assault.
The man, a youth leader in the PE North Circuit 218 Church in New Brighton, is expected back in court on September 20 after the matter was postponed for further investigation.
Makhanda District Synod Bishop Dr Prof Jacob Bonginkosi Freemantle said the church was aware of the allegations and had since suspended the man from all work, with the Methodist church pending the outcome of the criminal matter and the internal disciplinary processes.
“He cannot lead our church with that hanging over his head,” he said.
The event in Humansdorp was held between August 25 and 29.
One of the women said the thought of being sexually assaulted had never crossed her mind as she had believed she was with “all brothers and sisters”.
She has since gone into counselling.
She said she had not had accommodation for the weekend and opted to stay with a group who had booked a three-bedroom Airbnb guest house.
“I paid my portion of the money for the booking, but the room that was available was a sharing room partitioned by a wall in the guys’ room.
“In the room I shared a double bed with the other [alleged] victim, while the two other guys used the double bunk beds on the other side of the wall.
“On Saturday night [August 27], we came back from church and we had a braai, where some people had alcohol,” she said.
“At about 3am, I went back to my room and found that my bed had already been occupied by two people, so I used the bunk bed.
“As I slept I felt someone kissing and touching me but I said it was a dream ...
“I closed my eyes, but I felt the person [allegedly] touching me and going down towards my abdomen.
“I opened my eyes up and told him I needed to use the toilet.
“I locked myself inside and broke down until another church mate started [asking] about my whereabouts on WhatsApp.
“The only thing on my mind at the time was that I wanted to go home.
“I just wanted my mother to come and pick me up.”
She said as other church members in the Airbnb found her and comforted her, the man had walked in and a confrontation had ensued.
“He came in and asked: “Did I rape you?
“I started telling him that he [allegedly] violated me,” she said.
According to the woman, the man then left the accommodation at about 7am to hitchhike back to Gqeberha before the Sunday church service.
“He [allegedly] had tried to do the same with the girl I was sharing a bed with as well,” she said.
Weekend Post reached out to the other woman who opened a case with the police.
She said: “I would rather the courts of law deal with him and not speak to the media on the incident.”
The man referred all questions to his attorney, Zolile Ngqeza.
Ngqeza said: “We are not at a point to talk on anything at this time until we have the two dockets, then we will be in a better position to reply.
“He is denying it, that is obvious, but the basis will depend and we are unwilling to say anything beyond that.
“At this stage there is no comment on the charges, but we plead not guilty.”
Freemantle said the church had a policy on sexual harassment in terms of its laws “[and] we stand against GBV [gender-based violence] whether it’s committed to any gender,” he said.
“We have sent this incident to our disciplinary registrar to do a determination so that disciplinary action can start from the church’s position.”
Fremantle said this process did not take away from the course of the law.
“We have asked the pastor of the church to start with pastoral counselling for the [alleged] victims,” he said.
HeraldLIVE
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