HISTORY has shown that family rape or incest can occur without detection under the blanket of silence involving relatives who keep the dark secret to protect one of their own from arrest.

HISTORY has shown that family rape or incest can occur without detection under the blanket of silence involving relatives who keep the dark secret to protect one of their own from arrest.

Fearing isolation, victims tend to avoid reporting the matter to police or neighbours while suffering in silence at the hands of people who should ironically be protecting them from such misdeeds.

This is the dilemma that was faced by a nine-year-old rape victim whose plight was published in Sowetanyesterday.

Threatened with assault if she reported that her uncle had raped her at their Vaal home, the girl received help only after she had confided in a friend at school.

Sadly, many of these incidents are never brought to the attention of authorities in order to prevent breadwinners from going to jail.