Maria Sheya
Roland Routh
The minor victim, who was allegedly sexually violated by his father and grandmother on numerous occasions in Windhoek, demonstrated how the acts were performed on him by his alleged perpetrators in court this week.
“Through investigations, it came to light that you, on different occasions, would stimulate the genitals of your grandson. He did not only tell his mother and social worker, but demonstrated how you did it,” said State prosecutor Seredine Jacobs yesterday while placing the prosecution’s version to the 58-year-old accused.
Jacobs said the accused woman and her son have been picking up the child from a local school in Windhoek to molest him, with the last act occurring on 1 February 2024, where the minor was allegedly sexually violated in the car on school grounds by his father while the grandmother stood guard.
“He has since been moved from the school because he was no longer safe at that school,” she said. The mother and son are facing a count of rape. The State is alleging that each of them, on diverse occasions, from 2018 to February this year, committed sexual acts with the minor boy. This alleged sexual violation took place under coercive circumstances, according to the State. The minor was born in March 2017. During her ongoing formal bail hearing before Windhoek magistrate Immanuel Udjombala, the victim’s grandmother denied ever sexually assaulting her grandson.
She testified that she was shocked when she got arrested on rape allegations – and as such, she is traumatised.
The accused and her son were arrested on Tuesday last week. “I have nothing to say. I did not do anything to the boy,” said the accused woman.
Regarding the 1 February 2024 alleged sexual act, she informed the court that she was at a local hospital, receiving treatment for cancer. She said the treatment lasted for five hours – and after the treatment, she went home to rest. Thus, she was not at the alleged victim’s school, nor was she guarding the car while her son raped her grandson as alleged by the State.
“I only heard about 1 February 2024 here yesterday (Tuesday), and that I did it (rape) on diverse occasions,” she said.
She further denied that her grandson had informed her of the father sexually violating him. She said the last time she had direct contact with her grandson was in October 2023 before he was removed from his father’s custody as a result of the sexual abuse allegations.
Asked by the State why the minor would make such allegations against her and the son, she said she had no idea.
She, however, said the case is a personal vendetta by the minor’s mother, who allegedly does not like her, and wants to keep the child all to herself. She said she and her minor’s mother were on good terms before the child was born, but their relationship deteriorated after his birth.
She started to feel unwelcome.
She further told the court that she and her family did not attend her son’s
wedding around March 2018 because they disapproved the bride. She felt the former daughter-in-law was disrespectful towards her and the family.
Furthermore, the relationship was moving too fast. The victim’s grandmother also confirmed her son was raped as a child by a family member, and that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Father’s testimony
The 36-year-old, who is also seeking to be released on bail, said he and the minor’s mother divorced in November 2021.
The accused is a medical doctor.
He said he and his ex-wife were on good terms after the wedding.
However, there was a sudden shift upon her return from a trip to Europe mid-2018.
This commenced with the hiring and firing of several nannies.
Upon enquiry, his ex-wife informed him that she could smell genital odour on the minor’s hands. He said on one occasion, the minor’s mother informed him there was semen odour on the boy’s teddy bear.
“From there, I suggested that we go see a psychologist so that I can help her. But she refused to go, claiming that I bribed the psychologist,” he said.
He went on to inform the court that his ex-wife then showed him a small cut on the minor’s anus. The minor was taken to the paediatrician, who performed a colonoscopy, and concluded there was nothing wrong, and that the laceration would go away in a few days.
He said because of the sexual abuse allegations by the ex-wife, he asked the doctor if there were signs of sexual abuse, and the doctor said there were none.
A medical report was provided. However, his ex-wife accused him of also bribing the doctor.
Ugly divorce
In 2020, he filed for divorce, and one of the grounds was that his ex-wife continued to accuse him of sexually violating the minor.
However, in those proceedings, his ex-wife denied accusing him of such, and rather informed the court through her plea that she merely alerted the child’s doctor and social worker of her concerns.
“Because the child’s custody was an issue, shockingly, on every occasion, usually a week before court proceedings, there would always be allegations of sexual abuse from the mother,” he testified.
The victim’s nanny, in a statement, parts of which were read into the record by the accused, claims to have resigned because the minor’s mother wanted to accuse her of sexually abusing the child.
The minor’s mother would allegedly constantly unusually examine the child’s bottom. The minor’s maternal uncle also gave a statement that was read into the record, stating her sister accused her ex-husband of raping the child. This, he said, occurred when the child developed a rash on his bum.
He said he did not understand why she continued living with a man whom she accused of raping her son.
The bail hearing was supposed to continue yesterday. However, Jacobs is booked off until 28 June.
Subsequently, the State applied for a postponement in the matter.
Namandje opposed the application, and said he suspects the State wants to collapse it.
-rrouth@nepc.com.na