WALVIS BAY – A well-known Walvis Bay community activist has been arrested following allegations that he raped a 13-year-old girl.

“Our hearts are shattered. We, in our wildest dreams, didn’t expect this from him. He betrayed our trust by raping our minor daughter, while he, himself, has daughters too.” 

These were the words of a family member of the minor girl who was raped by the community activist at the town.

Inspector Iileni Shapumba from the Erongo Police said the rape allegedly took place between May 2021 and August 2021 in Narraville.

According to Shapumba, the suspect asked the minor to wash dishes for him and used that opportunity to rape her.

“The victim allegedly went to the suspect to inform him that she was done with the dishes. However, the suspect allegedly pulled her by her arm, threw her on his bed and had sexual acts with her under coercive circumstances,” Shapumba explained.

The community activist allegedly warned the minor not to tell anyone.

However, family members New Era spoke to yesterday said the girl broke her silence on Saturday afternoon after the suspect approached her and offered her N$500 to have sex with him. 

According to a source, who is a family member of the victim, the suspect is the landlord of the victim and her family.

“They were desperate for a place during Covid, and he offered them a backyard flat, seeing that he was advocating for affordable houses in the town. Sadly, he had other motives with their daughter,” the relative said.

According to the source, the victim’s behaviour changed so much that she experienced problems at school, and she also started smoking cannabis.

They could not understand how their well-mannered and school-orientated child became so problematic.

“She had such a close bond with her dad that she would even sleep next to him – but all of a sudden, she didn’t even want to be close to him,” the source said.

According to her, her niece finally spoke out on Saturday evening when the suspect tried to lure her away while she was in the company of an adult.

“She confided in her mother’s friend on Saturday shortly after the incident – and after being persuaded, she told her parents too. They went to the police, which led to his arrest,” the source said.

The victim’s father yesterday also said he is shattered as a father and cannot comprehend that a man with daughters could do this to someone else’s child.

“I am angry; so angry that I almost beat him up. How could he do this to my child? This is not okay,” said the devasted father. 

The suspect is expected to appear in court today.