The MJC have called on the public to raise their voice in order for the accused to not be granted bail Photo Pexels
Cape Town – The seven men charged with the kidnaping of seven year-old Abirah Dehkta have applied for bail in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court. The accused, aged between 25 and 47 appeared in the same clothes they were wearing last Wednesday. Their bail application has been postponed to January 18.
Dehkta was taken from her transport vehicle on the morning of November 4 in Amber Court in Gatesville, Athlone while they were waiting for another pupil. Police, acting on a tip-off, descended on a shack in Town Two, Khayelitsha on November 14. This was just hours after residents of Gatesville community took to the corners of Jakes Gerwel and Klipfontein roads hosting a peaceful protest calling for her safe return.
Community members want bail rejected for the accused
While the bail application has been postponed, community members and the state are vehemently against it. The Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) has called on the judiciary system to deny bail to the accused. Moulana Mujahid White, Media Officer at MJC, has called on the community to put pressure on the courts to deny the accused bail.
“We find ourselves at a time where there are so many kidnappings and so many perpetrators of violence. The MJC has chosen to take a position, in relation to the Abirah case, and that is that we call upon our community to place the necessary pressures to have bail denied to those that are accused. In the statement, there’s a development that had come about where the seven accused had an additional charge made against them of child pornography. These are things that our community cannot remain silent on.”
The seven are being charged under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca) for being a part of a gang and kidnapping – alternatively human trafficking, attempted extortion and contravention of the Cybercrime Act. Accused two has also been charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances. According to news sources, the accused were seen to be smirking and grinning while in court today.
SMread: A beautiful gift for the deceased
The government needs to take a stance
The MJC has not yet started a petition or written to the government for the accused to be denied bail. They first want the law to follow its natural order and hope it will come to the right decision. They firmly believe this is the right time for the government to show they care about the people of this country.
“We find so often that the criminals of these crimes are given bail and then subsequent to that they perpetuate and there’s a recurrence of the exact same crime by the exact same criminals … Our children are precious to us. Our society is the bedrock of everything. We have just come out of 16 Days of Activism against children. These are matters that if the government is not going to take a position, where the justice system is going to take a position regarding allowing bail for these accused, what is the government actually saying about these 16 days?”
The MJC will provide support for the family at every court hearing, whether it be in the court or outside of it. For now, they are awaiting the result of the bail application and will decide their next move based on whether bail is given or not.
