Well-known former state prosecutor Gerrie Nel is seeking to bring a private prosecution against a prominent person in the financial sector who allegedly raped his three-year-old granddaughter.

Nel is now head of private prosecutions for civic group AfriForum.

The organisation said on Thursday it has applied for a nolle prosequi certificate from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) so that it can start the private prosecution on behalf of the child. Nolle prosequi is a formal notice of abandonment of a prosecution by the NPA.

Nel told a news conference on Thursday that the alleged rape happened in the home of the victim’s grandparents just over two years ago.

Nel said the victim reported the rape to her mother and father‚ and a psychologist confirmed the sexual offences in a psycho-legal assessment.

The child also identified her grandfather as a perpetrator to her teacher.

“When the applicant first approached us‚ we were astonished that the police did not obtain the statement from the independent witnesses‚ the school teacher and the psychologist‚” said Nel.

“We wrote letters to police that statements from the teacher and the psychologist should be taken into account.”

Nel said despite AfriForum asking for these statements to be procured‚ the police refused to take these statements.