A Mitchells Plain teen broke a four-year silence on sexual abuse allegedly suffered at the hands of her uncle, who is a police reservist.
She endured the abuse because he told her he was a man of the law, with powerful police connections, and that no-one would believe her. He has allegedly been sexually abusing her since the age of 14.
The teen, who is now 18, has laid a charge against her uncle, who appeared in Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s court last Friday. He was released on bail and has been put on sick leave while police investigate the case.
“I hated it, I wanted him to stop. I would tell him to stop, I tried pushing him away, but he was too strong and it was all too much for me,” said the teen, who cannot be named.
The brave young woman opened up to a relative, who helped her open a case last week after she had attempted suicide several times.
The teenager said her ordeal began in 2019, after she move to Mitchells Plain to live with her uncle and his wife to complete high school.
“For the first three months everything was fine. He made me feel like I can trust him and like a part of the family. He once told me I can call him daddy,” she said.
“Then the (inappropriate) touching started…and continued every day. Whenever I was alone he would walk up to me and rub my private parts.
“And when someone walked in, he would walk away like nothing happened. The days my aunty worked night shift were the worst. He would come into the bedroom and pull the blankets off and touch me,” she said fighting back tears.
She told the perpetrator’s daughter about what was happening.
“My cousin told me I should use my phone to record him so that I can have evidence, but every time I lifted my phone or tried to record it, he would take the phone and say I can’t stop him because I live under his roof,” she explained.
The teen said after she tried committing suicide on two occasions she decided to open up to another cousin.
“My grades began to drop and I didn’t see the use of living anymore. I even tried showing my uncle my report thinking that would make him stop but he didn't.
“I decided to tell my (other) cousin because his mother is a rape survivor, and I knew he would tell her.”
The boy’s mother told Weekend Argus she took in the teenager after learning about the alleged abuse.
“When I heard about what happened, I came straight to Joanie Fredericks (community activists).
“I was disgusted, angry and knew exactly what she was feeling, but at the same time proud of her for speaking up because it takes so much bravery,” the 36-year-old woman said.
Fredericks, a gender based violence activist, said given the high scourge of GBV in her community - she was unfortunately not shocked.
“This is once again a situation where someone who works as a police officer, who is meant to serve and protect, someone we are meant to trust and to be able to report such crimes to - but they are (accused of) committing such a crime.”
Fredericks said she was happy with the support they received from the Mitchells Plain police station commander, Brigadier Cass Goolam.
“We learnt that the perpetrator was arrested and appeared in court, but what we want is (for him to) never wear a uniform again.”
“With crimes like this, survivors often don't want to speak up because it is difficult to prove and these things normally happen in isolation, but I believe is that this story will motivate more victims to come forward.”
Police spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, said a sexual assault case was under investigation.
“The case is currently under investigation by Mitchell's Plain Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit. Investigations continues,” he said.
The suspect is due back in court on October 31.
Spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigate Directorate (IPID), Lizzy Suping, said while they did not investigate cases against police reservists, 80 cases of rape by police officers was registered by IPID in the 2020 /21 financial year where more than half of the cases were committed by off duty police and the others by those on duty.
“The case is under (SAPS) investigation,” said Suping.
According to authorities, officers facing criminal investigations would be suspended pending the outcome of an internal probe.
Western Cape Community Safety and Police Oversight MEC Reagen Allen said according to his knowledge the officer in question had been booked off sick while SAPS conducted an investigation.
“We trust this matter will soon be resolved. All concerned deserve finality in this matter,” concluded Allen.
This week, police revealed that a cleaner at the Mitchells Plain police station who allegedly lured unsuspecting women with the promise of a job before sexually assaulting them was suspended.
“A police station should be a place where South Africans feel safe. Residents of Mitchells Plain should not be afraid of being a victim of crime when visiting their police station,” said the DA’s Mitchells Plain constituency head, Ricardo Mackenzie.