She has tried to take her life on several occasions, through stabbing herself, taking pills and other means, all in a bid to end the torment she has had to endure.
For the past four years, starting at the age of 14, she has allegedly suffered sexual assault at the hands of a relative’s boyfriend, who, she says, is also a police reservist stationed in the Mitchell’s Plain area.
Now 18-years-old, she says her schooling and mental welfare have suffered since the touching began. Shortly after turning 14, she had to move in with them due to family circumstances.
“It started with him touching me. I was shocked, I thought it was once-off but then it started happening every time we were alone,” she says.
This continued sometimes even while her relative was home, without her knowledge.
One day she reached out to another family member and shared what had been happening. But the response made her believe that she had to continue to suffer in silence.
“She told me to just keep quiet. I felt I can’t tell people because they will not believe me.”
As a former driver for a company, he needed to drop off staff. She says she had to accompany him on trips where the abuse continued.
“I would tell him he was hurting me. He acted as if he was just playing around and joking.”
For an extended period of time, he flaunted his position of power as a reservist, she says.
“He told me he is in the police and no one would believe me. I believed him and kept quiet,” she says in an exclusive interview with People’s Post.
Her last suicide attempt was around her birthday in July. After another failed attempt, she finally got the courage to speak out. She reached out to another trusted relative who has given her support.
At the beginning of August, she finally moved out of the home she shared with the alleged perpetrator. After further encouragement and support, she also opened an official police case of sexual assault.
People’s Post contacted the Lentegeur Police Station, the Western Cape Provincial police media office and the provincial National Prosecuting Authority for comment. None had responded at the time of going to print.
In official correspondence from police, in the possession of People’s Post, the case was confirmed as registered on Saturday 13 August at the Lentegeur Police Station.
According to follow-up correspondence, an arrest in connection with the case was made on Friday 19 August.
The learner says she was advised by police that the suspect would be arrested and that he would appear in court the following Monday, however, he was released on the same day.
It is common practice for an accused to be remanded in custody over a weekend period for bail to be heard on Monday. Circumstances that lead to this norm being forgone were posed to the NPA, without response.
In the case of a police reservist, all applicants are vetted for previous criminal offences. It is unclear if the person in question is still in the employ of police or whether or not a suspension of service pending the outcome of the case will take place, as this too was posed to the police.
The teen says her trust in the police has been shaken.
“Just because you wear a uniform, does not mean you can do whatever you want. Police (officers) are supposed to protect and serve, not hurt us,” she says. She says the fear she felt going home from school is a thing of the past and this allows her to focus on her schooling as the final exams approach.
She is not yet brave enough to reveal her identity, but felt speaking up against the abuse could help other potential victims come forward.
She understands firsthand the trauma of keeping quiet, she says, and encourages other victims of abuse to speak out.
“I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I decided to put myself first and that is all you must do. Speak out. Someone will believe you,” she says.
She has already confided in family and friends and says she can now also be a support to her own friends who may be going through something similar.
“I was quiet to protect my family, but I had to put myself first,” she says.
There is a lot of uncertainty around how the case will play out, but, she says, she is ready and prepared for what is to come.
She has also recently confided in Tafelsig community activist, Joanie Fredericks, who is a known activist for women’s rights and advocate against sexual violence. Fredericks has vowed to support the teen throughout the process.
With her journey only having just begun, the Grade 12 learner is now focused on healing.
“I had a lot of support from my friends and family. What I am focusing on now is to be happy and spend more time with them. I kept myself from them and now I just want to spend time with them. I am actually smiling and enjoying life.”
