AN ALLEGED Limpopo child molester has been released because of a court bungle.

Frans Piet Raseona appeared in the Mankweng Regional Court on September 25. However, all cases against him were dropped because the prosecutor could not produce a charge sheet for the trial to start.

Raseona, 32, was facing 10 charges of molesting pupils at a school where he worked as a security guard. He was arrested on October 23 2011 after 10 cases were reported against him at GaMothapo near Polokwane.

According to police spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, Raseona allegedly lured the young victims - all of whom are boys aged under 16 - to secluded places where he would rape them.

According to Mulaudzi, the prosecutor handed in a copy of the charge sheet but it was not accepted by the court. Mulaudzi said the magistrate had decided to strike the matter off the roll and had subsequently released Raseona.

"The charge sheet was discovered in another office later that day after the court had dispersed," said Mulaudzi.

He said although they were disappointed with the way the matter was handled, police were proud that since Raseona's arrest, he was never given bail.

Mulaudzi added that during August 2004, Raseona was found guilty on another rape charge at Mankweng that had been committed in 2002. He was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, half of which was suspended for five years on condition he was not convicted on a similar case during that suspension period.

Raseona has vanished and tensions are running high at GaMothapo. The community is accusing police of laxity.

"On the other hand, our members are also livid because it means that the case must be reconstructed from scratch," Mulaudzi added. - frankm@sowetan.co.za