Kaapse vrou breaks silence on generational incest

AS a nation of women stand together in solidarity against GBV, a brave Cape Town woman has placed an end to generational incest, coming forward after more than three decades as her teenage daughters and a niece have allegedly become the latest victims of her 74-year-old stepfather in Atlantis.

Yesterday, President Cyril Ramaphosa took the bold step to declare GBV a national state of disaster.

In an exclusive interview with the Cape Argus, the 42-year-old woman has shared her harrowing story of how she allegedly became a victim of rape and sexual abuse at the tender age of six - only to be silenced by her own mother after a case was nearly opened.

Then a few months ago, the demons of the past returned - with her two daughters aged 14 and 10 and a 13-year-old niece, who is the man's biological granddaughter breaking their silence.

In a bid to end the alleged sexual abuse, the mother said she too opened a case as her mother has since died.

Police spokesperson, Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed the cases made: “A 74-year-old male was arrested and appeared in court, where the case was remanded until December 10 .”

When she was six years old, her mother reached out to former ward councillor and GBV activist, Barbara Rass, who runs a shelter for abused women in Atlantis, and today she is back under her wing.

“My mother said she did not want to open a case anymore,” she explained.

“She questioned what would happen to our family as my stepdad was the breadwinner, and they had two boys together.

“He promised he would never touch me again.”

Then a few months ago, when she broke her silence after decades, her worst nightmare came true: “On September 12, I told my kids what happened to me, and they said, Mommy, pa did this and then my niece said he did the same to her, I couldn't listen to it, it made me so sick."

She said she learnt that the niece was allegedly molested since she was in Grade R and that her mother told the children not to "tell lies".

She said her eldest daughter attempted suicide due to the case: "You have no idea how I feel, knowing that my silence, and other relatives, and my children and a niece, became victims.

“I went to my church; I needed spiritual guidance; I don’t think I hate anyone so much in my life, the way I hate my mother right now.”

Rass called for justice: It is something that will never go away, but the least that can be done is for justice to prevail.”

Celeste Louw TEARS, general manager of operations, described the impact of generational abuse: "When children are taught that speaking out will break the family, they learn to carry pain that was never meant to belong to them."