Johannesburg - A Soweto man whose deaf son was assaulted twice, allegedly by the same people, says he might have to resort to extreme measures to protect him because the authorities had failed to do so.
This was after his son, Tumi*, was assaulted despite the fact that he had protection orders against the alleged perpetrators.
An angry Thabo* said he was prepared to go to prison while protecting his son against repeated attacks because all the proper and legal channels had been gone through, with no result.
Instead of being behind bars, the perpetrators were still roaming the streets, while he had to be constantly worried about his son’s safety, Thabo said.
“These people did it after numerous protection orders, and I need to know what it is that I have to do now. How many times a person must do the very same thing and just gets let off the hook?”
The Star reported in June that Tumi’s aunt allegedly assaulted him, but the matter was struck off the court roll after the prosecutor said it would be difficult to prosecute the case, as Tumi was not only deaf, but also did not understand sign language.
Tumi became deaf when he was older and never learnt sign language. The Star intervened and the matter is back on the roll.
Afterwards, Tumi got protection orders against the aunt and uncle. He also moved out of the family house they lived in and had to be escorted to the house by the police whenever he needed some of his items that were still there.
Thabo also bought him a tape recorder after hearing from his son that the uncle used to swear at him - even in front of police officers.
“I wanted the tape as proof,” he added.
Two weeks ago, Tumi’s other aunt, who lived at the house, died and he went there to meet his cousin, who was also at the house, to offer his condolences.
He said the aunt who beat him the first time, and is currently facing assault charges, started beating him, and her husband also punched him in the face and threatened to stab him with a spear.
In the recording Tumi made on that day, the uncle can be heard saying: “I won’t get arrested, this is my house, come and take your things.”
Tumi and his father went to have the aunt and uncle arrested for violating the protection order.
Both father and son said they didn’t know what happened to the case, but would have thought the pair would not be released, because it was not the first time Tumi had been attacked.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s Phindi Louw said a case was opened, and the latest matter would be tried with the first one.
*Not their real names
The Star