House of horrors: Multiple rape claims

A man accused of abusing his wife and five children appears in the Springs Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, 4 June 2014. Investigating officer Rudolf Jansen told the court of the torture and assault the children -- aged between two and 16 -- had allegedly been put through by their father. The accused, who may not be named to protect the identity of his wife and children, faces charges of assault and kidnapping.Further charges, including one of rape, were expected to be brought against him after allegations that he had forcefully had sex with his wife. The Springs man was arrested last month after his son fled the house and sought help from neighbours.Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA

A man accused of abusing his wife and five children appears in the Springs Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, 4 June 2014. Investigating officer Rudolf Jansen told the court of the torture and assault the children -- aged between two and 16 -- had allegedly been put through by their father. The accused, who may not be named to protect the identity of his wife and children, faces charges of assault and kidnapping.Further charges, including one of rape, were expected to be brought against him after allegations that he had forcefully had sex with his wife. The Springs man was arrested last month after his son fled the house and sought help from neighbours.Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA

Published Jun 4, 2014

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Johannesburg - The Springs father arrested for keeping his family captive and abusing his family allegedly raped his wife multiple times and exposed his children to pornographic material.

This was the evidence heard in the Springs Regional Court where the 36-year-old man made a formal application to be released on bail.

In his bail application he claimed that he earned a salary of R40 000 from his second-hand car dealership.

When the court read the charges against him – of child abuse, multiple charges of attempted murder and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm – the man denied them.

He cannot be named, to protect the identity of his family.

However, the investigating officer, Rudolf Jansen, opposed bail.

Jansen told the court that the police received information that an 11-year-old boy was severely assaulted and they went to the house in Plantasie Road, Springs, to conduct their initial investigation.

Jansen said they acted on information from the neighbours and they searched the house thoroughly for the boy. But the parents would not reveal the boy’s whereabouts.

The police returned on May 21, the following day, to conduct an investigation. He said while they were there, rats ran around the “filthy house” freely, rat droppings were everywhere, and clothes were strewn in every room.

Jansen described the accused as a man who did not care for his family.

The court heard later that on that morning, when the police arrived at the house, the accused had allegedly taken his son and hid him in an outside room on the property. The boy was forced to sleep on the bed with other people in that room.

“When I went into that room, the people inside refused to confirm that (the boy) was in that room. We then left. We asked both the wife and accused to come to the police station the next day,” Jansen said.

On Wednesday, a day after police had arrived at the house, the accused and his wife went to the police station, where they opened a missing person’s docket, claiming their son was lost.

“I think the man should not be granted bail because the State wasted a lot of manpower to investigate that missing person’s docket. When (the accused) became aware that we were looking for his son, he hid him in that room.

“Later, when the police left, we heard that they had placed him (in) the roof of that room. After the police left, he then took away his son and drove with him to Warden (in the Free State) where he placed him under the care of his relatives in a bid to ensure that police do not see his multiple injuries,”Jansen said.

It was further revealed that all his children – aged 16, 11, 3, 2 and 1 – were viciously assaulted by their father.

“The accused’s wife also made a sworn statement that the husband would repeatedly assault her and (force her) to have sex with him. She made a sworn statement that this happened on numerous occasions,” Jansen testified.

The family did not own the house in Springs. They were about to be evicted because they owed more than R70 000 in rent and their water and electricity debt to the municipality of Ekurhuleni was R260 000.

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The Star

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