Alex child-rape suspect ‘threatens’ victim’s family outside court
An Alexandra family is living in fear after the man accused of raping a then eight-year-old child, and forcing her two siblings to witness the ordeal, allegedly threatened them.
*Please note the following article contains details of alleged sexual crimes involving a minor, which some might find distressing.
A 21-year-old suspect was arrested in May 2022 after the victim revealed that their neighbour had allegedly raped her repeatedly since 2019.
He was released on warning and appeared before the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, where he is on trial for the alleged crime.
The victim’s mother, who may not be named to protect the child’s identity, said she became aware of the alleged abuse when her child refused to come home from visiting her aunt over the December 2021 school holidays.
“I had gone home to Limpopo to give birth. She called her father and told him that the neighbour’s son had raped her. We were shocked because this was someone we trusted.”
The mother said she solicited the help of a social worker when her daughter became suicidal.
“When they checked her, they couldn’t find evidence because it had happened a long time ago. I took her to see a social worker when she stopped eating, had trouble sleeping, and started speaking about taking her own life.
“We then discovered that when he raped her, her brothers [who were ten and five at the time] were there. He raped her in front of my two sons,” recalled the distraught mother.
According to the mother, the accused allegedly used condoms and made the young boys watch pornographic videos while sexually assaulting their sister.
She said the suspect targeted her children outside the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court earlier this week, even threatening to physically attack them following their in-camera testimony.
“He even threatened members of the GBV brigade. He wanted a physical fight after my children testified in court last week. He’s violent. He wanted to beat us.”
At the same time, community activist Elizabeth Mokoena said the accused’s actions show he is not remorseful.
“The family of the perpetrator and his family, to me, don’t have much remorse. They are intimidating the victim’s mother and father. On Monday, he tried to beat the GBV brigades who came to support.”
The mother said her children, now seven, 12, and one, fear walking in the community after the accused allegedly vowed to get in them “in the streets”.
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