Man accused of rape, killing Amantle claims prison warders assaulted him

Simia was denied bail and set to receive medical attention, move to different cell

A man accused of raping and killing six-year-old Amantle Samane arrived in court on Friday limping and claiming that he had been “badly” assaulted by prison warders and asking to be released on bail.

Pethe Sara Simia, who appeared at the Protea magistrate's court to face charges of rape and murder under a heavy police guard, claimed that he had been badly assaulted and as a result, he would like to be released on bail.

The magistrate then sat the matter down for a few minutes and then when it resumed, he told Simia that he would be returning to Johannesburg prison where he is now being held but would be kept in a different cell. He also told Simia, who claimed that his stomach and legs hurt, that he would be receiving medical attention. The matter was then postponed to December 3.

Amantle was buried on Thursday. The little girl, who was just a few days away from her preschool graduation, was found dead in the shack that Simia was renting in Orlando.

At the time, Simia had fled but was arrested a few days later.