A woman accused of ignoring her daughter’s rape and attempting an unsafe abortion has been freed by the Tsakani Magistrate's Court.
A Benoni, Ekurhuleni, woman accused of failing to protect her child from repeated rape by her father, and attempting an unsafe abortion on her daughter, has been released on warning.
The victim endured repeated rape by her father and pregnancy in 2022. She opened a case against him in Limpopo after she turned 18 this year.
The alleged abuse started in March 2022 while the victim lived with her parents and younger brother in Tsakani.
Daughter allegedly repeatedly raped by her father
The first rape happened when the mother, 31, was at church, leaving the victim with her dad and brother.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the victim was playing outside when her father called her into the house and sent her brother to the shops for chips.
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“When the victim got inside the house, she found the father in her room when she went to enquire why he called her,” Mahanjana said.
“The father allegedly locked the door behind her, undressed both himself and the victim, raped her, and left her in her room.”
Mother did not believe daughter
When the mother returned from church, she found her daughter crying on her bed. The mother allegedly asked the victim what happened, and she told her that her father had raped her.
However, the mother did not believe her daughter. When the second incident allegedly happened, the mother did not believe her daughter again.
Tragically, the victim eventually stopped telling her mother about the rape incidents, which continued to happen when the mother wasn’t around.
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Eventually, the victim fell ill, and her mother took her to Pholosong Hospital. The hospital confirmed that the victim was pregnant.
“On an unspecified date, the mother brought a mixture of concoctions and told the child to drink it in an attempt to abort her baby, which failed,” Mahanjana said.
After the abortion failed, the parents then sent the victim to live with her paternal grandmother in Limpopo, where she gave birth to a boy in December 2022.
Victim opened a case after she turned 18
After turning 18, the victim opened a case in Limpopo on 7 July 2025, resulting in the father’s arrest on 19 July 2025. Following investigations, the mother was arrested on 13 August 2025.
The mother appeared before the Tsakani Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for a bail application.
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She faces charges of furthering the sexual exploitation of a child by a primary caregiver and failing to report a sexual offence against a vulnerable child despite having knowledge or reasonable suspicion.
During the bail application, the mother argued that she cared for two minor children, including a breastfeeding infant, and she posed no flight risk.
Mahanjana said the prosecutor, Ntethelelo Ngcece, argued against bail, pointing to the seriousness of the offence, the possibility of influencing the victim, and her previous attempt to administer the abortion concoction.
Daughter didn’t object to mother’s release
Investigating officer Sergeant Tebogo Lephoto testified that the victim had no objection to her mother’s release on bail, provided she stays out of Limpopo.
“The magistrate released the accused on warning, ruling she is not a flight risk, and the victim resides in Limpopo,” Mahanjana said.
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“He noted the concoction’s effects could not be scientifically proven, suggesting it might have been the victim’s perception, and he found it in the interest of justice to release her.”
The case was postponed to 25 September 2025 for a regional prosecutor’s decision.
