Nicholas Ninow is not a paedophile: grandmother

Convicted child rapist, Nicholas Ninow's grandmother gave emotional testimony in the North Gauteng High Court on Wednesday, saying the 21-year-old is not a paedophile.

Ninow has admitted to raping a seven-year-old girl at a Pretoria restaurant in September last year.

This week the court is hearing arguments in mitigation and aggravation of sentencing. 

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On Wednesday, Pauline Gericke told the court her grandson would never hurt a child.

"He had stopped his psychiatric medication three weeks before [the incident]," she said. 

"The fact that he had been drinking and bingeing and drugging for three days, must have had some effect on his psychological state of mind because Nicholas is not someone who would just hurt a child," she said. 

Gereck broke down as she apologised to the 7-year-old survivor and her family in court.

Arguments in aggravation of sentencing are set to take place on Thursday.