For many years a Krugersdorp woman had to live with the abuse that she and her brother had suffered at the hands of their uncle.

She recently decided that she would not let these evil deeds go unpunished and now, 36 years later a 50-year-old man is on trial for what he did to the siblings.

The victim, now 40 years old, told the News that at the age of 14 she explained to her mother what her uncle had done to her.

She was sent for therapy and later she also told her grandmother.

A few months later her grandmother and aunts ordered her to keep quiet, telling her she was not allowed to speak to anyone about what she remembered. Recently her grandmother passed away at the age of 89, and she decided once more to confront her abuser.

One moment I was standing there and the next I was in front of him,” she said. She asked her uncle to admit to what he had done, but he denied it.

That day she knew she would not let him get away with it and last year, on July 14 the investigation started. On January 19 this year he was arrested and appeared in court for a bail application on February 4.

The accused faces two counts of rape involving minors.

Regional Magistrate Jay Baloyi said in court that the investigating officer’s statement detailed how the two minors were molested and allegedly raped.
When the abuse started, victim one was only three years old and her abuser was 14. When the abuser was 14 he abused victim two who was seven at the time.
Afterward he would tell victim one that it was ‘their secret’.

The abuse of both the brother and sister continued for many years until the accused was in matric and victim one was in Grade 3. The court also heard that victim two said in his statement that he once walked in on the accused while he was with victim one, and asked them what they were doing.
His sister then burst into tears.

Regional Magistrate Baloyi explained to the court that when victim one confronted her abuser at her grandmother’s funeral he tried to knock her down with his vehicle and followed her home.

The court took into account that the accused is the director of a company, is married and has two minor children. He also has family outside of South Africa and a passport to travel.

He believes he will be acquitted and has no reason to abscond,” said the Magistrate.

The accused was granted bail of R30 000 on condition that he checked in at the Roodepoort Police Station on Mondays and Fridays until the trial was over. He is not allowed to contact the two victims and their parents, or come within 100m of them.

He had to surrender his travel documents and is not allowed to apply for new ones.

The victim has been receiving support from Ngaa Murombedzi and Olivia Jasriel from Women and Men Against Child Abuse. Olivia told the News that she herself was one of Bob Hewitt’s victims, and that many people draw courage from what their organisation does. Hopefully they would draw courage from this story as well.

Olivia said she felt that historical abuse was being neglected to a huge extent and that it was incredible to see victims of historical abuse taking back their power when they face their abusers in court.

Victim one told the News that they came from an old-school Afrikaans family where these types of things were not spoken about. She wanted to see justice for her and her brother.

She also wished to encourage other victims of sexual abuse by showing them it is never too late to speak out.