DONDERDAG, 22 NOVEMBER 2012
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DistriksPOS HARTKLOP VAN DIE HELDERBERG
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Farmhouse oop vir besigheid 10
STRAND: SCHOLAR (14) ABDUCTED
Teen’s rape ordeal NIKITA SYLVESTER
A
14-year-old girl was allegedly abducted and raped by three boys while on her way to school about two months ago. Last week the girl’s father rushed her to hospital after she attempted to commit suicide. The family had just moved to the Strand from Saldanha Bay two weeks before the incident happened. The father relayed the horrific story as told to him by his daughter. He said that while walking to school one morning, just before she reached the school gate, his daughter was confronted by three boys believed to be from a nearby high school. The boys dragged her to Kay’s Caravan Park in Strand where she was allegedly raped. “At about 10:00 that morning, I received a phone call from the school enquiring why my daughter was not at school. I then realised she must be missing. We began searching for her, I walked through all the nearby streets until I eventually saw her coming up the road.” At first she did not tell her father of the incident, because the boys had threatened to kill her parents if she did. Once they reached the girl’s school she began talking about what happened. She told him how the three boys held her down, shoved something into her mouth and then repeatedly raped her. “They must have slapped and scratched her because she had cuts and bruises all over her body. “We are still awaiting DNA results which will determine whether there was more than one culprit.” The girl told her father how she managed to escape through a window in the caravan after the boys had left her alone for a while. Unfamiliar with her surroundings she was forced to ask a passing motorist for a lift back to the school.
“We immediately notified the police and one of the three boys was apprehended in the early hours of the following morning at Kay’s Caravan Park.” The boy was subsequently released until his next court appearance. He added that about a week after the incident, his daughter pointed out the boy who raped her. The 18-year-old, who at the time was attending a high school in Strand, was once again seen standing outside the school gate where he abducted her. The father then decided to remove his daughter from the school and enrol her at a private school. The father said with all the trauma, his daughter continues to go for counselling and receive the necessary medication. “Something like this turns your whole life upside down. It’s total hell, but for our daughter’s sake we cope and do everything we can to assist her.” Both principals have confirmed that they are aware of the incident but cannot comment due to the current police investigation. Strand police spokesperson Const. Mbulelo Mafuna confirmed that a suspect has made his first appearance at the Strand Magistrate’s Court on 28 September and will appear again on Tuesday 11 December. The father has begun a petition among the parents in the area in an attempt to prevent the suspect from being released on bail. Ada Buys of PATCH, a centre for abused children, describes the effects an incident like this can have: . Being abducted causes a lot of trauma. The sense of feeling safe can disappear completely. . The court cases that go along with these inci dents cause a lot of anxiety. . There is a huge sense of shame and mis placed blame, “why me?” . It is of vital importance that the person seeks help and speaks about the trauma as it may lead to thoughts of suicide.
MAGICAL SUMMER SUNSET: As the summer season slowly approaches, residents and holidaymakers can enjoy fun in the sun on the Helderberg’s beaches. Whether it be a sunrise swim, building sand castles with the kids or long sunset walks with your special someone, this summer will surely be one to remember. The weather forecast predicted for this weekend is sunshine with a few stray clouds. Friday: 21 ºC fair, Sat urday: 15 ºC partly cloudy, Sunday: 17 ºC fair. PHOTO: PETER BEE