Child rapist Bob Hewitt’s liking for young female players was an open secret in the tennis world, but no one suspected how far he had gone.
“There had been a rumbling for years and years,” Hewitt’s former teammate Ray Moore, 68, said last week from his home in California, US.
Tennis champion Hewitt, 75, was found guilty last week by the Johannesburg High Court of raping Twiggy Tolken, 47, and Suellen Sheehan, 45, when they were young teens coached by him in the ’80s. He was also convicted of indecently assaulting another of his teen tennis students in the ’90s.
Eight-time doubles title winner Moore, who travelled and played with Hewitt for about a decade in the ’70s when they both represented South Africa, enjoyed dinners with a “nice” Hewitt and endured the same man’s “terrible” temper tantrums as his opponent on the court.
“He was threatening and aggressive with everyone. He got knocked out in Berlin by Roger Taylor ,” Moore said.
Johannesburg-born Moore, who is the CEO of the BNP Paribas Open, said Hewitt was “always hanging with young girls in the stands” at tournaments.
“Three presidents of Tennis SA received reports of funny things with young girls,” Moore said.
But at the time he believed Hewitt was merely guilty of harassing young girls, not rape.
That was until Heather Crowe Conner told her story to Boston Globe journalist Bob Hohler in 2011.
The American woman is suing Hewitt for allegedly raping and abusing her while she was underage.
Soon after, Tolken and Sheehan laid charges against Hewitt in South Africa.
Moore said he has mixed emotions about the conviction.
“ sadness that it’s taken so long to reach a verdict and that Bob Hewitt, who has accomplished so much, was a serial paedophile. happy the girls have been vindicated.”
Moore has been close friends with Conner for years, since before her accusations against Hewitt became public. He has also spoken to Hewitt’s South African victims.
He said despite suspicions, no one could take action against Hewitt when he played and coached professionally in the ’70s and ’80s.
“No one could do anything until the girls came forward with details ... Some still have not come forward.”
Tolken first laid charges against Hewitt in 1981 and testified last month the attorney-general did not prosecute because the rape happened outside of his jurisdiction at Sun City, which was in the then Bop–huthatswana.
He also advised her father not to proceed with charges as she was young and would be torn to pieces by lawyers during a trial.
Things may have been different today, Moore believes.
“South Africa in the ’80s was a very different country – a closed society.”
Referring to the child abuse conviction of entertainer Rolf Harris and the rape allegations against comedian Bill Cosby, Moore said people are coming forward “all over the place”.
Conner’s story in 2011 prompted the International Tennis Hall of Fame to investigate Hewitt and it indefinitely suspended him in 2012.
The Hall of Fame reportedly said last week it would consider expelling Hewitt once all his appeals are exhausted.
Star’s liking for girls was ‘open secret’
“There had been a rumbling for years and years,” Hewitt’s former teammate Ray Moore, 68, said last week from his home in California, US.
Tennis champion Hewitt, 75, was found guilty last week by the Johannesburg High Court of raping Twiggy Tolken, 47, and Suellen Sheehan, 45, when they were young teens coached by him in the ’80s. He was also convicted of indecently assaulting another of his teen tennis students in the ’90s.
Eight-time doubles title winner Moore, who travelled and played with Hewitt for about a decade in the ’70s when they both represented South Africa, enjoyed dinners with a “nice” Hewitt and endured the same man’s “terrible” temper tantrums as his opponent on the court.
“He was threatening and aggressive with everyone. He got knocked out in Berlin by Roger Taylor ,” Moore said.
Johannesburg-born Moore, who is the CEO of the BNP Paribas Open, said Hewitt was “always hanging with young girls in the stands” at tournaments.
“Three presidents of Tennis SA received reports of funny things with young girls,” Moore said.
But at the time he believed Hewitt was merely guilty of harassing young girls, not rape.
That was until Heather Crowe Conner told her story to Boston Globe journalist Bob Hohler in 2011.
The American woman is suing Hewitt for allegedly raping and abusing her while she was underage.
Soon after, Tolken and Sheehan laid charges against Hewitt in South Africa.
Moore said he has mixed emotions about the conviction.
“ sadness that it’s taken so long to reach a verdict and that Bob Hewitt, who has accomplished so much, was a serial paedophile. happy the girls have been vindicated.”
Moore has been close friends with Conner for years, since before her accusations against Hewitt became public. He has also spoken to Hewitt’s South African victims.
He said despite suspicions, no one could take action against Hewitt when he played and coached professionally in the ’70s and ’80s.
“No one could do anything until the girls came forward with details ... Some still have not come forward.”
Tolken first laid charges against Hewitt in 1981 and testified last month the attorney-general did not prosecute because the rape happened outside of his jurisdiction at Sun City, which was in the then Bop–huthatswana.
He also advised her father not to proceed with charges as she was young and would be torn to pieces by lawyers during a trial.
Things may have been different today, Moore believes.
“South Africa in the ’80s was a very different country – a closed society.”
Referring to the child abuse conviction of entertainer Rolf Harris and the rape allegations against comedian Bill Cosby, Moore said people are coming forward “all over the place”.
Conner’s story in 2011 prompted the International Tennis Hall of Fame to investigate Hewitt and it indefinitely suspended him in 2012.
The Hall of Fame reportedly said last week it would consider expelling Hewitt once all his appeals are exhausted.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos