Pink lace panties lay draped over a child’s colouring book stands as a jarring juxtaposition in a dank room where a 10-year-old girl lived with her step-father – a man accused of raping‚ sexually assaulting and grooming her. 
Light bleeds through holes in the corrugated iron roof‚ the only source of illumination in a single room in on a hillside in Buffelsdraai.
It was in this room‚ with a bolted door and windows blacked out with newspaper‚ where the mechanic is alleged to have raped the girl repeatedly‚ sexually assaulted her and groomed her for sexual activity by showing her pornography.
The 44-year-old man‚ whose identity has been withheld to protect that of his stepdaughter‚ appeared in the Verulam Magistrate’s court on Thursday.
Now‚ following the man’s arrested‚ the room has been upturned by police detectives.
Flotsam lies scattered about the floor. The door has been broken in. Homework notes on fractions are now dusty underfoot.
Neighbours have told of how the girl’s screams had risen from the room at night‚ with the child allegedly shouting‚ “Daddy you’re hurting me”.
The man was detained twice this week‚ on Monday and Tuesday‚ after neighbours alerted a private security company...