HE IS old, wrinkled and can barely hear, but he is standing trial for allegedly raping two girls, one of them aged 12.

Neville Gabriel Collett, 76, appeared before magistrate Leavit Mkansi in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on the charges yesterday.

Next to him was one of the victim's cousins, who, like Collett, has also been charged with rape as she allegedly assisted him in committing the crime by bringing the victim to him.

The girl, testifying on camera yesterday, said she was not sure of her age, although in the charge sheet her age was listed as 12.

The alleged crime, where Collett is said to have sent the victim's cousin to go and pick her up, took place in 2013.

The girl, from Dealesville, said they would hide inside the old man's vehicle so that people would not see them and he would take them to a dumping site where, after sex, he gave them money.

Recalling her first encounter with Collett, she said that she was left bloodied after he had penetrated her.

"I said to him 'Collett, kyk kyk [look] because I was bleeding," she said.

Collett then allegedly turned his lusting attention on the girl's cousin, who was believed to be 19 when they were arrested in 2013.

"She took off her dress and panties and Collett put his penis in her vagina.

"After that, he gave her R100 and I only received R40, but my cousin took R20 from it because she said she did not want my grandmother asking me too many questions about where I received the money from," the girl said.

The next time the old man allegedly had sex with them was at his friend's farm, not far away from the dumping site.

"He took us in his car to his friend's house at some farm. The house was a bit far away and he put his finger in my vagina then I said 'ouch'.

"He then told my cousin to take her pants and panties off and penetrated her with his penis," she said.

It was an incident at school which led to Collett's arrest.

"My classmate wrote something about our teacher's penis in my book, and other pupils told him. I conceded that I had written on the book, even though it was not me. He called the police and while they were talking to me, I decided to tell them what Collett had done to me," she said.

The case continues today. selebim@sowetan.co.za