SAfrica: Mandela's grandson accused of rape, granted bail
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JOHANNESBURG (AP) - One of Nelson Mandela's grandsons, accused of raping a 15-year-old girl, was granted bail in a South African court on Tuesday.
Judge Pieter Du Plessis granted bail of 7,000 rand, nearly $540, as the man showed little emotion sitting in the accused's dock. The 24-year-old is accused of raping the teenage girl at a Johannesburg-area restaurant on Aug. 7.
In granting bail, the judge said there was a reasonable prospect that a trial could end in an acquittal.
During the bail hearing, that lasted over two days, the Mandela grandson's lawyers tried to prove that the teenager appeared to be above the legal age of consent, which is 16 in South Africa.
They also argued that the encounter was consensual, presenting written witness testimony.
Mandela's grandson will return to the court on Sept. 16, when he is expected to plead.
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