Durban — The trial against a 42-year-old man charged with the alleged rape of his lover’s 10-year-old granddaughter is expected to begin in June in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
On Tuesday, the man, out on bail of R4 000, appeared in court where the mother of the child was in attendance.
Speaking to the Daily News outside court, the child’s mother said the matter was adjourned to June 2 for trial.
In April the case was deemed ready to be transferred from the district to the regional court – the trial court.
It’s alleged that the family came to know about the abuse after the girl’s grandmother walked into the bedroom to find her 42-year-old lover on top of her granddaughter.
The accused was arrested in September last year after the matter was reported to police. It is alleged that the victim was raped repeatedly.
Speaking outside court, the victim’s mother said the girl still suffered “meltdowns” when she would be in tears.
“Academically she is doing very well but with her meltdowns, sometimes we have to fetch her from school.
“The teacher who taught last year and my daughter are close. My daughter told her what had happened to her. She has even written letters for the past three months, detailing what he did to her,” said the child’s mother.
She hoped the letters might come in handy during the trial.
The mother also said that her child’s meltdowns would begin with her picturing what she had allegedly been threatened with.
The child said she saw her lying in a pool of blood because she was threatened that if she told anyone she would have her mother taken away from her.
“When she has these images in her head, she ducks under the teacher’s table crying in fear.”
The mother, 28, said her daughter was still very much traumatised by the ordeal. The accused had been living with the family for nearly 10 years.
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