Durban - A 19-year-old woman, who was allegedly sexually abused for several years by her former stepfather, took the stand in the High Court here on Tuesday to tell the court about the horrific crimes she says she was subjected to from the age of three.
The stepfather, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the woman, pleaded not guilty to all 17 charges against him before Judge Jacqui Henriques on Tuesday.
According to the indictment read out in court, the 41-year-old is charged with rape, indecent assault, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and exhibiting pornography to a minor.
He is also charged with ill-treatment of a child.
The alleged offences took place at various addresses in the Waterfall area between 2000 and 2008.
The State alleges that the woman was three when the man moved in with her mother.
They married a year later and had another daughter together.
While her mother worked, the stepfather either worked from home or was unemployed.
In the summary of substantial facts, it is alleged that the sexual abuse began when he would bath her when she was just more than three. He also forced her to watch pornography, forced her to perform sexual acts on him and used several objects, including vegetables, to sexually assault her.
The indictment states that the girl would be beaten, restrained or threatened with a firearm if she tried to stop him from abusing her.
The abuse only stopped after the stepfather and the woman's mother separated in 2008 and the woman ceased all contact with him.
State advocate Cheryl Naidu said in her opening address that the woman would testify about all aspects of the abuse and asked that her evidence not be heard in public because of the nature of the offences.
"While she is 19 now, she was the under the age of 18 when the crimes allegedly took place."
Judge Henriques said it was in the interests of justice for the woman's evidence to be heard in camera.
Naidu also said while the woman was a single witness regarding the sexual abuse charges, her evidence regarding assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm would be corroborated by her mother.
She also said a medical expert would testify about dissociative amnesia, which led to the woman's reporting the crimes years after they had taken place.
The stepfather's advocate, Willie Lombard, told the court that his client elected not to disclose his defence.
The case continues.
The Mercury