A New Crossroads father of a 10-year-old girl says he is forced to spend most of his time watching over his daughter who is allegedly being sexually harassed by a man who is always asking the young girl for sex in exchange for money.
“My daughter is scared to go to school. She cries every morning and I must always accompany her every morning. That has taken a toll on all of us because I have to stop going to work to be her security. I have reported the matter to the police and nothing is happening. I am scared that this will escalate to death one of these days,” said the worried father at his home.
He claimed to have also approached the mother of the man who said she does not go around with her son.
In his quest to get help he has also approached the local priest, Apostle John Sawutana to intervene.
“Just this week when we came from the school with my daughter, this boy came to me carrying two knives promising to stab and kill me. You can imagine the fear from my daughter. If he can come to me like that, what do you think that does to my daughter who is 10 years old? I am now appealing and reporting this to the media so police and everyone can be aware that I took steps but no one seemed to listen to my cry,” he said.
The father is calling on the police to arrest the man.
After numerous pleas with the police, the father decided to contact the local pastor and the media. He said he opened a case of intimidation and harassment at the Gugulethu police station last week, claiming that the man was now threatening to show up near her home unannounced.
In support of the family, Apostle Sawutana appealed to the police to do the right thing.
Apostle Sawutana said after he was approached by the father of the child he visited the police but he was promised that something was happening. “ Look, it is difficult for the child, for her father. It would have been difficult for me too. I think the police need to act swiftly in an issue like this. My point here is that somebody might get hurt. I do not care who that could be. It could be the girl, the father or the culprit. When we say people should not take the law into their own hands, we should also mean it and act,” he said.
He added that no one would endure the harassment from the man who is alleged to have killed before.
“I mention this because I was there. What I did not like was the fact that the police were telling me to call them when I see the man. Why are they not looking out for him? I fail to understand. But we will wait for them to act, if they want to.”
Gugulethu police spokesperson Sergeant Sindisiwe Ngqele confirmed investigations are under way. The case would be brought forward to the attention of a detective commander, she said.
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