An Atlantis woman who alleged that her father had kept her as a sex slave since she was a teenager, has now been served with a protection order by her alleged abuser.
Last month, the woman spoke exclusively to this newspaper about her two decade long ordeal. She said she was sexually abused by her father, following her mother’s death in 1997.
The father is facing several charges of rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming and indecent assault. The former taxi driver and truck driver is set to make his next court appearance next week.
The State is set to prove that the father of four, had groomed his eldest daughter since the age of 12-years-old to be his “sexual partner” after burying his wife who died due to illness.
The document which was shared with the Weekend Argus reveals that the 63-year-old man had made the application on February 28 after he was granted R1000 bail.
The man claims that his daughter had moved back into their home illegally after moving out and falsely accused him of rape.
The document also seeks that she not contact him verbally.
The daughter has been instructed to appear at the Atlantis Magistrate’s Court in May to state her reasons why the application should not be considered.
She said she will not give up her case and feels that she is continuing to be victimised.
She has since moved from the house after returning to the residence following her father’s arrest.
“I am living with my sister now,” she said.
“I only moved back to the house when he was arrested to look after my brother who is mentally ill. When he was granted bail, he went and made this application and my brother was also served with one.
“We have not been informed of his bail conditions. My case is what happened to me, what I went through all of those years.
“He is telling everyone that I am making up stories and is denying it. He is trying his tactics so that I must remain quiet. I will not give up my case or withdraw it because I suffered all of the years and he abused me emotionally and sexually.
“In the end we are talking about my life and what I went through which means nothing to him how I feel.”
Barbara Rass, of the Atlantis Woman’s Movement and who has been assisting the family, said the system was not there to protect victims like the woman.
“I am upset with the system which fails our people,” said Rass.
“Where can people go, when all the structures fail them?
“We are angry and sad and frustrated, there is no place to hide for victims to hide when they come out with it, here openly the system is failing the victim.
“We are taking this very seriously, we can see the unfairness in the system.
“Where is the protection from the State?
Siya Monakali of Ilitha Labantu questions the release of the father on R1000 bail: “In this case the alleged suspect was granted R1000 bail and was sent home where he will be living in the same house with the victim.
“This opens up room for intimidation and places the victim at risk for all sorts of abuse.
“A strong call to action for the court to revisit its decision on this matter is required as the victim is unprotected.”
Weekend Argus also attempted calling the father for comment with the cellphone number recorded on the protection order application but could not reach him.
Kavya Swaminathan, Clinical and Counselling Psychologist and Intervention Supervisor at the Tears Foundation, said in her professional opinion the case had the hallmarks of, “trauma bonding which refers to the attachment a victim or survivor of abuse feels towards their perpetrator.”