A South African court has postponed the rape case against former Grand Slam doubles champion Bob Hewitt until May 9 after prosecutors mislaid paperwork.
Hewitt's lawyer, Alwyn Griebenow, told The Associated Press on Friday that prosecutors will have to reapply for the charges of rape and indecent assault against Hewitt to be centralised so they can be heard in the same court.
The Australian-born 73-year-old is accused of two counts of rape and one count of indecent assault of underage girls he coached in the 1980s and 1990s.
Two of the offences are alleged to have occurred in Boksburg, a city east of Johannesburg, against two girls aged younger than 16. The third, against a girl aged under 18, allegedly took place at the Sun City casino resort in northern South Africa, a different court jurisdiction and the reason why prosecutors need to apply for the charges to be brought together.
Hewitt, who denies the charges, didn't appear at Boksburg Magistrate's Court on Friday and has missed all three preliminary hearings due to ill health.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Griebenow said he was hopeful a trial date would be set on May 9 and he would receive indictment papers.
"Well I'm praying for that. We've been hoping for a trial date all along," he said.
Prosecutors want the charges heard in a high court in Johannesburg but Griebenow said he would apply to have the trial moved near to where Hewitt lives on South Africa's south coast, claiming his client is too old and ill to travel.
His doctor said in court documents last year that Hewitt had a stroke in 2010, a heart attack in 2011 and also suffered from anxiety attacks and depression among other health problems.
