The Parow Regional Court on Wednesday postponed to March next year the sentencing of a man who sexually assaulted a sleeping teenage girl.
Juan-Jacques Filips, 20, appeared before magistrate Amanda van Leeve who, at the request of prosecutor Dersia Rabie, postponed sentencing proceedings to March 27 2014.
Van Leeve explained to Filips that his case was being diverted in terms of the new Children's Protection Act, to enable him to benefit from a welfare programme for the rehabilitation of sexual offenders.
He sexually assaulted the girl as she lay asleep on a bed, in March 24 last year, she said.
According to a probation report, Filips, drunk at the time, entered the room to find the victim asleep. He was caught when the girl's boyfriend entered the room unexpectedly.
Van Leeve said Filips would only be sentenced if he failed to attend the programme, or to complete it satisfactorily.
Van Leeve told him: "The court is giving you a second chance in life. Do not mess up. Do not throw away this opportunity. Do not play with your life. You need to do everything that the probation officer says you must do."
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