Rape accused Johann Maree loses N$300,000 libel case against Namibian Sun
Johann Maree, a Windhoek resident facing 74 charges including 24 counts of rape and 18 counts of child trafficking, has lost a N$300,000 defamation lawsuit against the newspaper Namibian Sun. Judge Gabriel Komboni of the Windhoek High Court ruled that an article published in March 2024 about Maree, a photographer and former police reservist, was not defamatory. Komboni stated that an objective reader would understand the article's theme to be the criminal charges Maree is facing, and that the content was true or substantially true and in the public interest. Maree had argued the article undermined his right to be presumed innocent and exposed him to hatred, contempt, and ridicule, citing remarks from fellow inmates. The defendants, including Network Media Hub, Namibian Sun, its editor Toivo Ndjebela, and reporters Rita Kakelo and Iréne-Mari van der Walt, successfully argued that the article's contents were true or substantially true and that its publication was in the public interest. They also noted Maree made a confession recorded by a magistrate in June 2022. Maree's criminal trial, where he has denied guilt on all charges, is scheduled to continue from 21 September.
