South African prosecutors have announced plans to appeal the acquittal of Nigerian pastor Timothy Omotoso, who faced multiple charges of rape and sexual assault. The case, which has sparked national outrage, involves accusations from about 20 women, some of whom were minors at the time. Despite the judge describing Omotoso’s testimony as improbable, the court ruled in his favor due to what was deemed poor handling of the case by prosecutors.
Omotoso, leader of the Jesus Dominion International (JDI) church headquartered in Durban, was arrested in 2017 and charged with 32 offences, including rape and human trafficking. Testimonies claimed he handpicked young women for abuse and then prayed for forgiveness after each incident. Though acquitted, Omotoso was rearrested recently on unrelated immigration charges. Public protests erupted outside the court in Gqeberha following the verdict.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has launched an internal investigation into the conduct of the prosecution teams involved, extending the probe to both teams in order to determine if disciplinary action is necessary. A report is expected in June. The high-profile case has reignited concerns over gender-based violence in South Africa, where over 42,000 rape cases were reported in the past financial year.
