Cape Town - The mother of a mute 33-year-old woman says her daughter was raped, allegedly by a relative who used to lock her up inside a room.
The 37-year-old man from Lentegeur, who is married to the victim’s cousin and cannot be identified, made his first appearance at the Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate's Court on Tuesday and was released on R1000.
The woman’s mother says she was born with an unusually thick tongue and even after several operations, she is unable to speak.
The family communicates using their own hand signs as the woman is not able to use sign language.
The mother says a month ago she and her daughter moved out of a family home in Strandfontein to Freedom Park, in Tafelsig after a fight over her late father’s house.
This was when her daughter dropped the bombshell about the alleged sex attacks which took place over a period of time.
She believes her daughter previously tried to tell her of the assaults, but that she had misunderstood.
“She used to tell me her backside is sore and made hand signals with her index finger being shoved through a hole, but I thought she is saying she is constipated.”
She says her daughter was a virgin and has been left traumatised.
“My child was healthy and now she is getting fits and cries,” she says.
“He thought because she cannot speak, she cannot tell us what happened.”
Police spokesperson, Captain FC Van Wyk, confirms that the case is being investigated by the Mitchells Plain Family Violence and Sexual Offences Unit.
The suspect is expected back in court on January 22.