'My child's rapist is next door'
24 June 2009, 12:07
Eight year old Nthoko* is fearful, broken and distressed. She lashes out with confused, hateful words at her mother, the person who loves her most.
She no longer enjoys the carefree days of childhood and spends hours crying.
And almost daily she has to face her alleged rapist.
Nthoko was allegedly brutally raped by a neighbour who had lured her to go to his flat from the park where she was playing.
Her mother believes her daughter blames her for the incident because she had not warned her that bad things could happen during the daytime. She was six years old at the time.
Now, 18 months later, her mother is still desperately fighting for justice, saying Cato Manor police allegedly bungled the case.
Charges were dropped against the alleged rapist, and Nthoko was not given her day in court.
The mother said the initial investigator on the case had been diligent in taking her daughter's statement and visiting her after-hours. But when he was suddenly transferred to another police station she was told the charge had been dropped due to insufficient evidence. She has now lodged a complaint with the Independent Complaints Directorate.
The mother said she took Nthoko and another neighbour's child, who had allegedly been raped twice by the same man, to his flat, where one of the girls pointed out the perpetrator.
"My daughter was crying and screaming, but the other girl was so strong. She just pointed and said 'it's him'.
'I did it'
"Then he said 'please don't hit the children' and pulled them by the arm and put them behind his back.
"He said: 'Please don't hit the children. I did it, I already told you. The children have already told you I did it'," she said.
The mother said one resident threatened the alleged rapist, and then called the police who arrived to arrest the alleged rapist. He spent the night in jail and was released on bail the next day.
"This was during the 16 Days (of Activism against violence against women and children) when he was not supposed to get bail.
"He is still living here. I feel so bad because he is so proud, and saying what he wants me and my daughter.
"He confronted me and my daughter, and looked my daughter up and down. He said he has his own witchdoctor at Inanda and even if I go on with the case, nothing can happen to him.
"He told me I am HIV positive in front of everybody. He said they are not talking to people who are HIV positive," the mother said.
Thoko is receiving counselling. "I want justice to be done because if it's not done then how many children are going to be raped and the rapists get away with murder?
"I'm upset. My child is upset. She has just changed. She is no more the child I knew.
"I come home from work and she is just sitting there on the couch with toilet paper, crying," the mother said.
Police spokesperson Vincent Mdunge said he had contacted Cato Manor police station to confirm the case number but the superintendent had on Tuesday been unable to locate the case docket.
ICD spokesperson Tiyani Sambo said the directorate had received the complaint.
"We have lodged a request with Cato Manor police station for a copy of the docket before we can investigate further," Sambo said.
*Not her real name. names have been withheld to protect the child.
She no longer enjoys the carefree days of childhood and spends hours crying.
And almost daily she has to face her alleged rapist.
Nthoko was allegedly brutally raped by a neighbour who had lured her to go to his flat from the park where she was playing.
Her mother believes her daughter blames her for the incident because she had not warned her that bad things could happen during the daytime. She was six years old at the time.
Now, 18 months later, her mother is still desperately fighting for justice, saying Cato Manor police allegedly bungled the case.
Charges were dropped against the alleged rapist, and Nthoko was not given her day in court.
The mother said the initial investigator on the case had been diligent in taking her daughter's statement and visiting her after-hours. But when he was suddenly transferred to another police station she was told the charge had been dropped due to insufficient evidence. She has now lodged a complaint with the Independent Complaints Directorate.
The mother said she took Nthoko and another neighbour's child, who had allegedly been raped twice by the same man, to his flat, where one of the girls pointed out the perpetrator.
"My daughter was crying and screaming, but the other girl was so strong. She just pointed and said 'it's him'.
'I did it'
"Then he said 'please don't hit the children' and pulled them by the arm and put them behind his back.
"He said: 'Please don't hit the children. I did it, I already told you. The children have already told you I did it'," she said.
The mother said one resident threatened the alleged rapist, and then called the police who arrived to arrest the alleged rapist. He spent the night in jail and was released on bail the next day.
"This was during the 16 Days (of Activism against violence against women and children) when he was not supposed to get bail.
"He is still living here. I feel so bad because he is so proud, and saying what he wants me and my daughter.
"He confronted me and my daughter, and looked my daughter up and down. He said he has his own witchdoctor at Inanda and even if I go on with the case, nothing can happen to him.
"He told me I am HIV positive in front of everybody. He said they are not talking to people who are HIV positive," the mother said.
Thoko is receiving counselling. "I want justice to be done because if it's not done then how many children are going to be raped and the rapists get away with murder?
"I'm upset. My child is upset. She has just changed. She is no more the child I knew.
"I come home from work and she is just sitting there on the couch with toilet paper, crying," the mother said.
Police spokesperson Vincent Mdunge said he had contacted Cato Manor police station to confirm the case number but the superintendent had on Tuesday been unable to locate the case docket.
ICD spokesperson Tiyani Sambo said the directorate had received the complaint.
"We have lodged a request with Cato Manor police station for a copy of the docket before we can investigate further," Sambo said.
*Not her real name. names have been withheld to protect the child.
- This article was originally published on page 1 of The Daily News on June 24, 2009
Durban
