Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK - A family of a woman who is suffering from chronic depression wants the law to intervene so that she can be separated from an abusive and manipulative husband.
They insist its’ like the woman is under some kind of spell and is in denial of what is happening around her. The woman, employed as a deputy director in government ministry has endured abuse from her husband until recently when she alerted her family.
The family said they also received a tip off from their sister’s work earlier this year that she hasn’t been at work for three months. The family said the woman got married in 2014 (to a man whose name is known but withheld by New Era as he has not yet appeared in court) without their knowledge and blessing although they have confirmed they were invited to a party in the north. The man is also alleged to have fathered a child with his step daughter who was aged 16 that is five years ago and the child is now aged five. The man his wife, step daughter and the son he fathered with her all live together in a house in child in Windhoek North. The family says their sister has been reduced to a frail person who is in denial and suffers from severe depression.
In addition to their son, the woman have three other children out of wedlock who are not fathered by her abusive husband.
In messages circulating on social media the family confessed through the 16 days of activism which ended recently that they have not been at peace for almost 10 years now because of their inlaw’s heartless antics. Their message says the man who has ripped this family apart was employed as a baker. He apparently started interpreting other congregants’ dreams and he also advised his troubled wife to stay away from her own family and this has resulted in the women not seeing other family members for the past five years. But his in-laws want the former baker to face the full wrath of the law for his transgressions that have gone unpunished.
According to a relative they haven’t been in touch with their sister as their in-law denies them access to his marital house. It was only in September when the distressed woman who has endured untold spousal abuse called her family saying her husband wanted to kill her. This prompted her husband who was not amused that his wife contacted her family to facilitate her admission to a private institution that treats people with chronic depression and other mental illnesses. Relatives with the assistance of the police were able to remove the couple’s children from their home where they lived in deplorable conditions. “They were sleeping on the floor, there are no beds. The house is dirty and it’s like they lived in a chicken coop,” a relative narrated.
According to the relative, the teacher of the 12-year-old son who is a child of their tormented female relative told them that he is often picked up late from school and looks like he is not given proper care despite his mother being employed as a deputy director at one of the ministries.
Relatives said they opened a case of child abuse on behalf of their sister who does not want to accept what is happening around her. Relatives have not called for the state to intervene.
Relative said it was only last month that they discovered their manipulative in-law impregnated his step-daughter. “He recently admitted he is the father. This all came out last month after five years,’ said the relative. The relative added that the now 22-year-old doesn’t want to speak out about her intimate relationship with her stepfather.
The relative said the unemployed culprit has power of attorney and he has been buying property being registered under his name and he also bought himself a car and some cattle.