South African judge convicts retired tennis player of rape

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Bob Hewitt, a former Grand Slam doubles tennis champion, was on Monday convicted in a South African court of rape and sexual assault decades after the alleged assaults.

Judge Bert Bam said he is satisfied that the two women who had accused the veteran tennis player of rape and a third woman who had accused him of sexual assault were telling the truth.

The charges stemmed from events in the 1980s and 1990s, when Hewitt coached the women as young girls. Hewitt, who is 75 years old, denied all three charges.

The judge said the striking similarities among the three womens’ testimonies showed that Hewitt’s conduct was calculated.

Bam ordered that Australian-born Hewitt should be taken into custody.