Pretoria court sentences shelter resident for rape and attempted rape

A 47-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years’ direct imprisonment by the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court for raping and attempting to rape two men at a shelter in Akasia. Pretoria Rekordreportsthat Neil Klein, originally from Cape Town, received a 15-year sentence for the rape of a 32-year-old man and an additional five years for the attempted rape of a 43-year-old man. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

According to the NPA, both victims and the accused were residing at a shelter in Akasia at the time of the incidents. NPA regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the first incident occurred on July 9, 2023, when the 43-year-old victim went to the shelter’s bathroom and encountered Klein. Mahanjana said Klein threatened the victim, locked the door and undressed himself.

“The attempted assault was interrupted when someone knocked on the bathroom door, forcing Klein to stop. Four months later, on November 5, 2023, a second incident occurred involving a 32-year-old man,” she said. She added that the victim went to the bathroom where Klein also confronted him, threatened him and instructed him to undress.

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Klein then raped the victim before leaving him in the bathroom. The victim immediately reported the incident to a cook working at the shelter. After hearing about the assault, the 43-year-old victim also came forward and disclosed the earlier attempted rape. The matter was reported to the police the same day and Klein was arrested at the shelter the following day.

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