• Tweet

• Zizo Beda joins Sowetan's Anti-Rape Campaign VIDEO
• Pearl Thusi lends her star power to Campaign Against Rape VIDEO

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE: This eight-year-old girl has related how she was raped by a neighbour earlier this year. The rapist was sentenced to 20 years in prison. PHOTO: Vathiswa Ruselo

RELATED ARTICLES

• Make YOUR pledge to say no to rape
• Rise in sexual assaults a cause for concern
• Snags with register puts children at risk
• ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: Sowetan takes a stand
• CAMPAIGN AGAINST RAPE: How to get help
• Ag sies! It's shameful
• SA's curse of sex abuse
• A family relives sad loss
• Survivors urged to speak out
• A way of life for some
• Victim profile
• Still too traumatised to face man who raped her

"I was playing in the streets with my friends and this man gave me R1 and said I must go to the shop to buy him two cigarettes," she told Sowetan.

When she went to his house to give him his cigarettes he pulled her into the house and shut the door.

"He threw me onto the bed and raped me," she said.

The door had been left unlocked and her rapist's brother discovered them.

He immediately alerted their sister.

"His sister took me home and and they called my mother," she said.

Her mom was so angry she grabbed a knife and had to be prevented from attacking the man, the girl related.

The man was beaten up by the community.

When asked how old the man was, the girl replied: "He is as old as my grandfather".

This happened in January last year and in June the man was sentenced by the Sebokeng Magistrate's Court to 20 years' imprisonment for her rape, in addition to a separate life sentence for the rape of a disabled girl.

The little girl said she was very scared that people would call her names because of what happened to her.

During the trial she was scared that other people would be around to see her and hear her story.

"I used to have bad dreams, but not anymore. I just want to forget what happened," she said.

She received counselling from the Stratford Clinic Crisis Centre and her file was "closed", meaning she had received the amount of counselling the social worker had prescribed for her.

The girl's teenage cousin, however, said the experience had changed her.

"She used to play with other children, but she doesn't anymore. She plays all alone. Even when she's sent to the shop she sometimes brings the wrong things back. And she cries a lot and when we ask her what's wrong she'll say she fell or hurt herself, but we don't see any scratches or anything," she said.

"Her performance at school dropped as well and her parents had to be called. So now that he's in jail maybe she can go back to concentrating at school," she said.

- nkosin@sowetan.co.za

Comments

• Sign in or sign up to comment

Fri May 24 10:57:49 SAST 2013 ::

Jan 2, 2013

Ponko.Fontoyo

8 years old?Askies my kid,may God be with you.
Report Abuse

Jan 2, 2013

sekhebereshe

corward h*rny b*stards who cannot get it up for woman of their age destroying the little girl s future.
Report Abuse

Jan 2, 2013

TLekota

Lil old bad news.
Report Abuse

Jan 2, 2013

oldlady12

So sorry little one. But what are we adult SAns going to do about this ongoing crime against children? Complain on websites, and that's about it.
Report Abuse

Jan 2, 2013

Zimzalabam1

Will our kids ever grow up in a safe environment,not safe at home,school on the streets at church.What are we to do?
Report Abuse

Jan 2, 2013

China-man

Some people need HELP, I mean you can go buy for only R20.00 instead of attacking someone so young & innocent - Ai No Pei
Report Abuse

Jan 2, 2013

Sirndelide

It means that the counseling was not effective enough to help this little angel to overcome physical and psychological trauma of being raped.The social stigma from the community is not helping her to cope with psychological symptoms and low self-esteem. Abondaba "gossip mongers" basekasi will always talk down the victim. This child deserve more support from the gov.
Report Abuse

Jan 2, 2013

MorenaWaPolelo

Eish!!! God help us
Report Abuse

Jan 2, 2013

whathehell

@Sirndelide
This child deserve more support from the gov.
__________________________________
Does it always have to end with government? We all know that support from family, community and friends will mean and help more than what government can offer. This girl needs the support of the people who know her most and live with her on a daily basis. Anyway, govermnment can't even fix an X-ray machine.
Report Abuse

Jan 2, 2013

Raiden

tjo 8yr child mara.???
Report Abuse

Read all 32 comments