A 19-year-old told her mother that her stepfather had raped her many times, hoping that she’d support her and get the suspect arrested.
Instead, her mum allegedly ordered her to keep quiet about her ordeal.
But the grade 12 pupil from Dzimauli Ha-Rambuda Village outside Thohoyandou, Limpopo, could not keep the secret.
She told her gogo and uncle in the hope that they’d assist her to open a rape case against her stepfather, who is a cop.
But now her mum wants nothing to do with her and even refuses to help her apply for an ID. This means she can’t register for her matric exams.
“My mother assaulted me, but I always felt that it was the right thing for me to speak out about the ordeal and get justice,” she said.
“But the matrics are writing trial exams and I think I’ll have to repeat the class next year because I will not qualify for the finals.”
Her uncle alleged that the mum said he should not continue with the case because her husband was a policeman.
“When her mother beat her up, I knew my niece’s life was in danger. So I arranged with my aunt in Gauteng that she should stay with her,” said the uncle.
He said when the suspect found out that she was staying with the aunt, he called and threatened her.
“We took her to social workers, who admitted her to a place of safety. We managed to open an assault case against her mother and a rape case against the stepfather at Mutale Police Station, but nothing has been done with either case.”
The uncle told the publication that many people in the family, including social workers, spoke to the rape victim’s mother. But she chose to throw her child out into the streets and protect her husband.
“We’re afraid if the girl does not write her exams, it will hold her back,” he said.
“We really need help for her to apply for an ID so she can write her exams.”
Albert Matsaung from Home Affairs in Limpopo encouraged the mother of the rape victim to separate issues and help her daughter apply for an ID.
Witness Tiva, a spokesman for the Department of Social Development in Limpopo, said they had forwarded the matter to Vhembe district office for further investigations to help the victim.
Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said a case of common assault was withdrawn while one of rape had been remanded to 21 September for a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
-daily sun
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