Sex claims at safe house

Four young rape victims placed in an East London safe house were allegedly sexually abused again, by the  father of the woman who runs the facility.

The 58-year-old man stands accused of attacking five girls in total, aged eight to 12.

His name has been withheld to safeguard the identity of the children, two of whom are related.

Magistrate Merwin Meyer yesterday heard  the suspect’s  bail application in the East London Magistrate’s Court.   Investigating officer Sergeant Bubele Dyasi told the court that four of the five girls had initially gone to the safe house because they had been victims of rape and therefore needed a haven.

They were placed at the facility by social workers.   The fifth girl was at the house as a relative of one of the women who  works there.

Dyasi relayed statements the young girls had given to police. To protect the girls’ identities, they were referred to as child A, B, C, D and E.

It was evidence before court that the suspect  would often touch the girls inappropriately while transporting them  in a vehicle to places.

“Child B said the accused used to fondle her  breasts and showed her pictures of his private parts on his cellphone,” Dyasi told the  court.

The allegations of sexual assault came after the father of one of the girls heard about the alleged abuse and questioned her about it.

Dyasi said the girl admitted to her father that it was true, and opened up about further abuse allegedly happening at the facility.

“The father then came to us to report the matter. His daughter said other girls had also been abused in front of her,” he said.

Child C, said Dyasi, told how they were allegedly molested whenever they were in the man’s bedroom.

“She said he threatened them that if they said anything to anyone, he would make their lives miserable and they would never see their parents or families again.  It also emerged in court that two of the girls  are related to the accused.

The court heard how Child D decided that she would never go to the accused’s bedroom when he called because she did not want to be abused anymore.   She was only staying at the safe house because her relative works there.

“She is the only one remaining at the house.

Dyasi told the court that Child E had said the accused would stop abusing them for a period and feed them warm, healthy meals. But when they least expected he would start with the sexual abuse again, she had alleged.  “Four of the girls were taken for medical examinations but the fifth could not be taken because she is sexually active and therefore the results would not be conclusive,” said Dyasi.

The safe house used to be run by the accused’s wife. But after her death his daughter took over.

“There are people hired by the daughter to look after the children,” Dyasi said.

Under cross-examination by attorney Neil Ristow for the accused, Dyasi conceded there was no evidence before court to suggest that the man would interfere with the police investigation or even evade trial if released on bail.

Ristow said if a condition of bail was that his client would not set foot in the suburb where the facility is located, he would abide by it.

Magistrate Meyer asked Dyasi if he had obtained a statement from the accused’s daughter but Dyasi said she refused to give one.

“She refused, saying she was not going to say anything about her father,” he added.

The bail application will continue today. The man remains in custody.