'Fake' Doctor Accused Of Raping Teen During Consultation While Her Father Was Waiting Outside

A "bogus" doctor accused of raping a 17-year-old girl inside a consultation room in South Africa in August is awaiting a court's decision on whether or not he would be granted bail.

The suspect, identified by SABC News as 38-year-old Congolese national Llunga Kalasa, reappeared before the Kimberley Magistrate's Court in Kimberley, South Africa, Friday for bail application, according to a more recent report from the outlet.

The doctor allegedly raped the teenage girl during a medical consultation on Aug. 15. The girl's father was outside in the waiting room during the alleged rape, reports said.

The girl did not say anything to her father after she left the consultation room, but she told her aunt about the alleged incident the following day, according to The South African. The matter was immediately reported to the police, and Kalasa was soon arrested.

Kalasa has applied for bail, but state prosecutor Kekeletso Lekota said that releasing the accused on bail would mean that the suspect would likely evade trial.

Prosecutors argued that Kalasa is a flight risk. According to the prosecution, the suspect is illegally in South Africa after his visitor's passport expired in 2018. His family has returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), so he has no reason to stay in South Africa.

"The applicant, being a medical assistant who is known as a doctor, has the means to evade his trial as he already says he has an income. He is in possession of a Congolese passport. Congo does not have extradition agreements with South Africa," the state prosecutor said, according to SABC.

In addition, though he has issued prescription medicine and sick notes, Kalasa is actually not a licensed doctor and is not registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), SABC reported.

The HPCSA said that such incidents have been increasing in recent months.

According to HPCSA's Christopher Tsatsawane, four to five people posing as doctors have been arrested in the past months.

"I can confirm that we have seen an increase in terms of this kind of behavior throughout the country and different provinces. In the previous four or five months, we have arrested four or five persons who are actually practicing without having registered with the council, which is a serious cause of concern," Tsatsawane told SABC, adding that this is a criminal offense.

The Kimberley Magistrate's Court is expected to announce its decision on Kalasa's bail application Monday.