The mother of a 9-year-old girl in a wheelchair says it’s been almost a year since her daughter was raped, but she’s still waiting for justice.
The girl has been out of school all this time.
The mother, who lives in Site C, claims her daughter was raped in May last year while they were staying in Delft.
She doesn’t know exactly what happened because her daughter is unable to speak, but she suspects her child was raped while at school or on her way there.
The woman recalled returning from work on an evening in May last year to find her daughter asleep, which was unusual for her, and the child had remained lethargic for a week afterwards. Later, she had noticed worrying injuries on her daughter while bathing her.
“I went to the Delft police station, and they sent me to the clinic. The doctor confirmed that the child had been penetrated. We opened the case with Delft police.
“We got a detective who was adamant he would find the culprit, but after he went to the school, he came back a changed man. He told me the case is complicated because the child could not talk so the rape could have happened anywhere.”
The woman said her daughter had gone nowhere other than to school and back home.
“The only place where the rape could have happened is in the school transport or at school. Those are the only places she was for the entire week,” she said.
“If we say we have laws for disabled people in this country, we should see them working now. My child cannot be raped and be discarded just like that,” she said, holding back tears.
Police spokeswoman, Sergeant Noloyiso Rhwexana, said the rape case was withdrawn in court.
“According to standard procedure, the victims and the caregivers are informed about the outcome of the case, which procedure was followed by the investigating officer of this case,” she said.
Jessica Shelver, spokeswoman for Education MEC Debbie Schafer, said the family would be assessed so a suitable school could be found for the child.