SHE CLAIMS her priest was against her sexual orientation.
He allegedly raped her to correct her ways.
HE SAID HE WANTED HER TO FEEL WHAT A MAN TASTED LIKE, SHE SAID.
The woman (41), who can’t be named, said her pastor believed that as a lesbian she was taking a road that was unGodly.
She claims the pastor raped her at St Phillips Anglican Church in Sunnyside, Tshwane, where she was a caretaker in 2018.
The woman said she went to look for an admin job as she grew up in the church.
She claimed the pastor told her he wanted to have sex with her before he could offer her a job.
“He forced himself on me. He had a spare key to my room and would come in at any time to demand sex,” she said.
“He was saying I was depriving myself of a good thing and wanted me to feel how a man tastes like.”
Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore and reported the matter to the Anglican Diocese of Pretoria.
A disciplinary hearing was held and the pastor was found guilty, but he was suspended for only six months – and before that time was up he was back at work.
“I wasn’t happy with the way the church handled the case,” she said.
“Some congregants were not happy about it, either.”
She found a job in a liquor store in Rustenburg, where she thought she’d found peace,” she said.
“But the pastor came into the store. He wasn’t there to buy. He was there to harrass me. He was saying I thought I was going to destroy him.”
She said she was hurt because he was boasting to his friends he had sex with her, yet she never consented to anything with him.
“I feel like he’s still stalking me because he comes often,” she said.
She later discovered the pastor had been moved to a branch in Rustenburg.
She didn’t open a rape case at the time as she thought the church would handle the matter. She’s planning to open a case now.
Daily Sun spoke to three relatives who said they were against what the pastor did.
“We encouraged her to go to the media to expose this pastor,” said a relative and Anglican church member.
Another relative said they were unhappy because the pastor was going around boasting about how he wanted to prove she was a woman.
The Anglican Diocese of Pretoria confirmed in a statement that in November 2019 the pastor was charged in terms of the Canons and Constitution of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.
MASECHABA'S EX MOERS HER CURRENT BAE!
“He pleaded guilty to, and was convicted of contravention of Canon 37 (sexual immorality) in that he had unethical conduct of a sexual nature with an employee with whom he had a pastoral relationship,” read the statement.
The church said following his guilty plea and conviction, the pastor was suspended for six months, together with ancillary sanctions.
It said he’s served his sentence and has since assumed pastoral duties.
In its analysis it found abuse of power which led to sexual immorality. The pastor was never charged with rape.
It said the woman has the right to prefer criminal charges against the pastor, but that falls outside the Church’s jurisdiction.
Jeanette Sera, social worker at Powa, advised the woman to open a case and undergo counselling.
“Courts can be intimidating and the opponent’s lawyers may try to destroy her,” said Sera.
“Getting counselling helps many victims of rape not to be emotionally fragile in court rooms.”
A lawyer, who didn’t want to be named, said: “The victim’s story suggests this is a rape case, a criminal offence by law.
“In such instances the victim has to open a case with police, and the investigating officer will investigate and gather all evidence to be given to the court.”
