Durban: The 27-year-old South African national who claims to have been raped by a fellow countryman judge four days ago has said she wants to undergo counselling.

The alleged rape victim, who returned home from Mumbai yesterday (Jan 21, 2004) on the same flight as Winnie Mandela, estranged wife of former South African President, said she wants to return to normal life and undergo counselling.

"I have been going through hell with the local and foreign media chasing me all the time since the incident," she said this in an interview with the local SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) national radio and television news.

"I don't want to talk about the incident because it's sub-judice. However, I believe the truth will come out in the end," the woman and her husband, told the national broadcaster at their home in Bela Bela in the province of Limpopo, about 100 kms north of Pretoria.

Her husband said he wanted his wife to forgive the judge.

"The fact is we want to forgive Desai and to forget. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela spoke to my wife, she spoke a lot of wisdom and we have to sit down and decide," he said.

The woman claims she was raped by a fellow countryman Judge Sirajuddin Desai in a Mumbai hotel on Sunday (Jan 11, 2004). In her complaint to the city police, she had alleged that Judge Desai sexually assaulted her after inviting her to his room at the hotel late on Saturday night (Jan 10, 2004).

The AIDS (Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome) activist was staying at a five-star hotel in South Mumbai and was part of the South African delegation that consisted of Judge Desai who were all in the city to participate in the World Social Forum.