She claims the pastor raped her at St Phillips Anglican
Church in Sunnyside, Tshwane, where she was a caretaker in 2018.
The woman said she went to look for an admin job as she
grew up in the church. She claimed the pastor told her he wanted to have sex
with her before he could offer her a job.
“He forced himself on me. He had a spare key to my room and
would come in at any time to demand sex,” she said. “He was saying I was
depriving myself of a good thing and wanted me to feel how a man tastes like.”
Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore and reported the
matter to the Anglican Diocese of Pretoria.
A disciplinary hearing was held and the pastor was found
guilty, but he was suspended for only six months – and before that time was up
he was back at work.
“I wasn’t happy with the way the church handled the case,”
she said. “Some congregants were not happy about it, either.”
She found a job in a liquor store in Rustenburg, where she
thought she’d found peace,” she said. “But the pastor came into the store. He
wasn’t there to buy. He was there to harrass me. He was saying I thought I was
going to destroy him.”
She said she was hurt because he was boasting to his
friends he had sex with her, yet she never consented to anything with him.
“I feel like he’s still stalking me because he comes
often,” she said. She later discovered the pastor had been moved to a branch in
Rustenburg.
She didn’t open a rape case at the time as she thought the
church would handle the matter. She’s planning to open a case now.
Daily Sun spoke to three relatives who said they were
against what the pastor did. “We encouraged her to go to the media to expose
this pastor,” said a relative and Anglican church member.
Another relative said they were unhappy because the pastor
was going around boasting about how he wanted to prove she was a woman.
The Anglican Diocese of Pretoria confirmed in a statement
that in November 2019 the pastor was charged in terms of the Canons and
Constitution of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.
“He pleaded guilty to, and was convicted of contravention
of Canon 37 (sexual immorality) in that he had unethical conduct of a sexual
nature with an employee with whom he had a pastoral relationship,” read the
statement.
The church said following his guilty plea and conviction,
the pastor was suspended for six months, together with ancillary sanctions.
It said he’s served his sentence and has since assumed
pastoral duties. In its analysis it found abuse of power which led to sexual
immorality. The pastor was never charged with rape.
It said the woman has the right to prefer criminal charges
against the pastor, but that falls outside the Church’s jurisdiction.
Jeanette Sera, social worker at Powa, advised the woman to
open a case and undergo counselling.
“Courts can be intimidating and the opponent’s lawyers may
try to destroy her,” said Sera. “Getting counselling helps many victims of rape
not to be emotionally fragile in court rooms.”
A lawyer, who didn’t want to be named, said: “The victim’s
story suggests this is a rape case, a criminal offence by law.
“In such instances the victim has to open a case with
police, and the investigating officer will investigate and gather all evidence
to be given to the court.” Daily Sun
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