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Bloemfontein — It seems no one will ever know the exact details of what happened in the early hours of the morning when a man was caught with his pants down in bed with his mother-in-law.

They were both so inebriated that neither can remember how they ended up in bed together, Netwerk24 reported.

The son-in-law was charged with sexual assault after the incident, but the charges were withdrawn in the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Monday after they reached a settlement.

Earlier, he said he thought he was in bed with his wife, 22.

In the settlement agreement the son-in-law, 31, states: “I am sorry. We were all under the influence of alcohol. I cannot remember what happened, but I am regretful and sorry. I beg my mother-in-law’s forgiveness.”

The mother-in-law, 50, states: “I can’t remember what happened. We are family and I am willing to forgive him. I don’t want him to be prosecuted. I just want him to be reprimanded.”

The agreement includes a warning to the man that he will be prosecuted if he ever commits a similar offence.

Netwerk24 spoke to the mother-in-law on Tuesday.

“I can’t be angry with him because I don’t know what he did,” she said.

These things happen, but she has cut down on drinking anyway, she said.

She still has a “Savannatjie” or a small glass of wine now and then, “but I don’t drink myself senseless anymore”.

She said she has asked God to open up her memory of the night of February 5, but it hasn’t happened yet.

She told Netwerk24 that on the night of the incident the family had a pleasant evening around the fire at her home in Uitsig.

Later, she went to bed in the spare room as her daughter and granddaughter were sleeping in her bedroom.

She says her son-in-law knew it was her in that bed and not her daughter when he got in.

Just before daybreak his wife found him on his knees in bed with the sleeping mother-in-law and asked him what he was doing.

“I thought it was you!” he allegedly said and jumped out of bed.

The couple is now divorced. – News24