Johannesburg - Psychopaths are driven by a sick need to abuse their child – and it is a sadistic form of pleasure for them.
This is how Professor Anna van der Hoven described those who severely abuse their children, either through rape or assault.
Van der Hoven, an independent criminologist, said such people have an uncontrollable urge to abuse their child and see nothing wrong with their behaviour because they have psychopathic tendencies.
Psychopaths are often described as being antisocial, aggressive, sexually deviant, and usually free of guilt.
In some instances, women in unhealthy relationships let their partners abuse their children. And instead of protecting the child, they side with the partner, who they don’t want to lose.
Adriaan Netto and his girlfriend were found to have subjected their baby, Samantha, to long-term abuse that led to the child’s death. They were also found guilty of her rape.
However, throughout their trial, they distanced themselves from the 10-month-old’s injuries and said they did not know how she had been hurt.
On Monday, prosecutors asked Samantha’s mother one last time to reveal the truth and take responsibility for what happened, since she had already been found guilty.
Her answer was an almost incoherent mumble. “I should have been more vigilant, as a mother, as a caregiver. I should have been more… I didn’t cause… I didn’t see…,” she said, as her voice trailed off and she burst into tears.
Van der Hoven said such a response was typical of many abusers. “They are not at all honest and it is difficult to communicate with them. And when they cry it is not because they are remorseful; they feel sorry for themselves. For them, crying is not a sign of regret, they are not crying for the baby they killed. They are crying because they have been caught.”
Van der Hoven said psychopaths are cold and never care about children’s welfare.
A few years ago, she had to listen to a tape recording of a father who had raped his child, who was just a few months old.
In the tape, the father could be heard casually saying that the baby had enjoyed it.
“You can imagine how twisted he is. How can a baby enjoy being raped? He could not grasp the intensity of what he had done,” she said.
Dr Katherine Bain, a clinical psychologist at Wits University, said different babies evoke different emotions in parents, depending on what the baby has come to represent for the parent.
During his testimony, Netto said he slept with Samantha on the bed in the bedroom while his girlfriend slept with the other twin in the lounge. The reason, he said, was so he could get some sleep as Samantha’s twin was a restless sleeper.
Bain said this was common in the case of twins.
“Parents of twins often separate into separate beds, each managing one child, in order to get as much sleep as possible.
“In this case the sleeping arrangements weren’t the problem; the problem was the father’s inability to take a protective role towards his daughter and his use of her as a sexual object for his gratification.”
Both Van der Hoven and Bain agreed that what happened to Samantha might affect her siblings, who will have to undergo therapy.
The Star