Man raped his stepdaughter for seven years

By Doreen Mokgolo

A 73-year-old man from Duduza in Ekurhuleni was arrested and charged with repeatedly raping his 15-year-old stepdaughter.

It is alleged that the pensioner began raping the teenager when she was seven years old. She confided in her mother and stepsister, who told her she was lying and ordered her not to tell anyone about the allegation.

The mother and sister are charged with intimidation and covering up a crime.

The stepfather, his wife and his daughter were arrested in April after the teenager told her biological father about the abuse.

After being released on bail, they are said to have hatched a murder plan to get the charges dropped in court. Their bail was revoked by Nigel Magistrate’s Court this week.

The trial of the three was adjourned until August 21 to give the state the opportunity to access some of the audio recordings in which the trio allegedly threatened the victim.

Speaking outside court on Wednesday, community leader Nondlela Mashinini said the community had begged the court to protect the teenager because she had been repeatedly raped since childhood.

The girl is said to have become pregnant last year and her stepfather and his wife are said to have forced her to terminate the pregnancy.

“It is painful that there is another rape case pending before the Tsakani Magistrate’s Court in which she was raped by her stepsister’s friend,” Mashinini said.

“We are glad that she finally had the courage to talk about it, even though her family had threatened to kill her,” she said.

The teenager’s father said he just wanted justice for his daughter.

“She has endured so much suffering over the years at the hands of the people who are supposed to protect her,” he said.

Another resident, Nombulelo Dlamini, said the teenager had been denied the opportunity to return to her biological father’s house.

“They (the stepfather and his wife) threatened to kill her and bury her in a shallow grave where no one would find her.

“How unscrupulous can this family be that they have not learned from their previous crimes and continued to threaten her after her release on bail,” she said.

The victim is currently in hiding.

Pictured above: Community members support the teenager’s case.

Source: Doreen Mokgolo