By Odwa Mkentane
The case of Delft Pastor, Ebrahiem Sardien, who was arrested in 2024 after allegedly raping a 15-year-old, is expected to resume at the Parow magistrate court on Thursday.
The victim testified at the court on Wednesday. The Delft community and supporters of the teen held a peaceful march outside the court calling for justice regarding the case. The supporters say that the case has been dragging on for too long with no clear direction, and they claim that the case has been postponed more than seven times this year alone.
Speaking to VOC News after the court proceedings, the mother of the victim says she is tired of postponements, and this has affected them physically and emotionally.
“This is not the first time that the case has been postponed. Every time there is a court date, I have to make arrangements to attend. I cannot simply say that I am not coming because I have to support my daughter. My child needs to know that I am there for her. Sometimes I have to take the whole day off. I come to court and sit here for the entire day, only to be told that the case has been postponed and that we must go home,” said the mother.
She said that her daughter has to be absent from school when attending court, and she is worried about her schoolwork as she is about to write exams.
“This is also very difficult for me as a mother. I have responsibilities and I need to work so that I can support my daughter. But when the case keeps being postponed, it becomes harder for me to manage everything. They keep telling us every month that something will happen, but so far, nothing has happened. Something needs to be done for my daughter,” she said.
Community activist Jodi Smith says the victim first started giving evidence in March, but she could not finish her testimony because the case was postponed several times.
“We feel this is very unfair, especially for a child who has already experienced trauma. Having a court case postponed almost ten times in one year causes even more emotional pain for the victim and her family. The victim is also not the only person affected. There are other victims whose cases have been postponed many times.
“We do not understand why so many postponements are being allowed. Every time we attend court, we wait for hours, sometimes until around 11am or 1pm, only to be told by the accused’s lawyer that they cannot attend or that there is another reason for the postponement. We believe this is unfair to victims and their families. They should not have to go through the same trauma over and over again while waiting for justice,” said Smith.
VOC News reached out to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila for comment on the reasons for the postponement of the case, but had not received a response by the time of publication.
Photo: Supplied
