By Zavela Mkwabe
A senior prosecutor who failed to report a sexual offence charge of child rape found on Monday that she was on the wrong side of the law.
Seasoned lawyer Vicky Rossouw, 54, a prosecutor at the Regional Court in Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape, has been charged for contravening Section 54(1)(a) of the Sexual Offences Act, 32 of 2007, which provides that a person who knows of a sexual offence committed against a child, whether it is incest or rape or any other kind of sexual offence, should report it immediately to the police.
Her colleagues have not only slapped her with the charges, but “labour processes” against her have been initiated.
On Thursday Rossouw appeared briefly in the court, where she works as a control prosecutor, and was released on warning while the matter was postponed for further investigation.
“The enrolment of this case against one of our own is a clear indication that if there is enough evidence of a commission of a crime against anyone, the NPA will prosecute without fear, favour or prejudice,” NPA regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said.
The case is due back in court on 28 November.
