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Botha still bears the scars of ex-lover's sexual abuse

Radio personality Nonn Botha says she was shocked someone meant to protect her could attack her. Pic: Supplied
Radio personality Nonn Botha says she was shocked someone meant to protect her could attack her. Pic: Supplied

Radio personality Nonn Botha has opened up about her alleged sexual assault at the hands of a man who had been her lover for six years.

Devastated and traumatised by the alleged rape incident which happened when she was aged 23, Botha only found the courage to talk about her ordeal after 15 years.

"I only recently told my mom when she was singing praises about my first boyfriend. I just burst out, 'No, this man is a rapist because he hit me and forced himself on me'," the 38-year-old said yesterday.

"When you are hurt by someone you trust . many women are not strong enough to talk about [sexual abuse] because it is something that they hide away and it is a box they don't want to open.

"At the end of the day it is my body and if I say no, I mean no," she said.

Botha spoke to Sowetan after she and other South African women joined the #MeToo campaign on social media in which they share their personal accounts of sexual assault and harassment.

The campaign, aimed at breaking the culture of silence about sexual abuse, began as a response to allegations against American film producer and former film studio executive Harvey Weinstein who has been accused by a number of high-profile figures such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Cara Delevingne of sexual harassment and assault.

According to Crime Stats SA, there were 51895 sexual offences in South Africa in the 2015/2016 reporting year - just over 142 per day.

In her Facebook post Botha also revealed how she was several years earlier almost raped by a taxi driver who was supposed to transport her from a late evening class.

"I never reported my boyfriend to the police and I tried to make an excuse for him that I shouldn't do something that will make him angry and trigger a beating or even a sexual assault."

Botha said she was shocked that a person who was meant to protect her could attack her.

Botha said she wanted to go for therapy after she realised this week that she had not forgiven her ex-boyfriend and that it was difficult for her to trust someone when she gets into a relationship. - Additional Reporting TimesLIVE

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