A 20-year-old man accused of raping a seven-year-old girl in the bathroom of the Dros restaurant in Silverton is expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
The man, who can't by law be named until he pleads, faces charges of rape, possession of drugs, assault with intent to do bodily harm and intimidation.
It is alleged the suspect followed the little girl from the play area to the toilets where he raped her. The girl's mother allegedly caught him in the act after she went looking for her child.
Members of several political parties and civil society organisations are expected to protest outside the court on Tuesday after the news of the rape and a subsequent video following the assault of the suspect by bystanders went viral.
Streets around the court are expected to be cordoned off as a result of the expected protests.
- African News Agency (ANA)
