Social worker's emotional testimony reveals the impact of child sexual abuse
The minor said in her victim impact report that the accused is a dog.
Image: File
A social worker broke down while reading a heartbreaking victim impact report after a minor was raped, impregnated and left HIV positive by her stepfather who was sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Parow Regional Court heard gripping details from the social worker who explained that during their first counselling session, the victim, who was a minor at the time, aged 10, was pregnant.
The accused pleaded not guilty, despite DNA evidence stating he is the father of the child and was sentenced to life imprisonment and unfit to possess a firearm.
She explained reading from the report: “Before I was happy, I had my own room. When I woke up at 07:00 my stepdad had sex with me, he said I mustn’t say anything.
“I used to sleep in my mom’s bed in the middle of them. He said to take my panties and pants off. He then got on top of me and took all my clothes off, sex me."
The social worker broke down during the testimony and described the 62-year-old step-dad from Delft as a father figure before he began abusing the victim.
The court heard that the minor trusted the accused as he bought her ice cream and fish and chips.
She continued to read the victims report: “He put sex movies on in his room, when my mom knocked on the door he would put the movies off. We watched half of the movie and had sex.
“It was my first time watching such a movie, I was anxious. When my mom sleeps we had sex. It happened 7 days a week every day, sometimes morning and evening.
The court heard that the minor was afraid to tell her mother, because the accused threatened her that if she did, he wouldn’t buy her anything.
The minor told the social worker that children at her school and people started mocking her because she was gaining weight, however she did not know at the time that she was pregnant and then later was HIV positive.
The social worker added that when the minor gave birth she was unable to receive medication for the pains as she went into labour.
She added; "Giving birth was the worst part of my life. Weeks after giving birth I cry myself to sleep and keep a photo of the baby. He must be punished for what he did, I didn’t think of getting pregnant. He was a dog.”
The minor is currently in special care as her mother was unable provide for her and her baby because she is unemployed.
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