A PRISON warder accused of raping a 16-year-old girl has been remanded in custody - pending his next court appearance on Friday.

A PRISON warder accused of raping a 16-year-old girl has been remanded in custody - pending his next court appearance on Friday.

The warder appeared briefly in the Piet Retief magistrate's court on Monday.

The 50-year-old suspect, who cannot, at this stage in the court proceedings be named so as to protect the identity of the victim, was arrested after the girl defied her mother and reported the alleged rape.

Piet Retief police spokesperson Captain Charles Nkosi said the girl's mother was also arrested. The girl told investigators that her mother ordered her not to report the matter because the alleged rapist was taking care of them.

"The girl, however, decided to tell her boyfriend about the alleged rape.

The boyfriend advised her to open a case of rape and the suspect was arrested."

Nkosi said the girl's family was reportedly at the warder's mercy after being evicted from where they had been staying.

The suspect, who is stationed at Leeuwkop prison near Johannesburg, offered them accommodation at his house, Nkosi said. The girl and her mother lived in the house until last Tuesday.

"At midnight, he allegedly entered the bedroom where the girl and her mother were sleeping. He then allegedly dragged her to his room where she said he raped her several times," said Nkosi.

Nkosi said the girl returned to her mother crying and bleeding. The teenager is now taking refuge at a relative's house.