Johannesburg - The son of a senior DA politician in the Western Cape is at the centre of a sexual violence storm.
Several people have accused the 17-year-old of sexually assaulting them. The victims came forward on Sunday, narrating their allegations in graphic detail in social media posts.
Police in the Western Cape are aware of at least one case which is currently before the courts.
One victim told how she was allegedly violated by the teenager at a party.
“He took me outside. I was drunk, I refused, but he overpowered me. He took me behind the house. I tried fighting him off but he kept forcing himself on me. He then raped me, and after that, he stood up and left to mingle with his friends,” she said.
Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk said police were investigating a case of sexual assault in connection with an incident in November last year.
He said the accused, who is 17, had appeared in court in January and he was set to reappear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court in July.
“This office can confirm that a case of sexual assault was reported on November 16, 2019, at Milnerton police station by a 16-year-old female victim.
“The matter is currently under investigation by Milnerton FCS. A 17-year-old suspect was arrested and appeared at the Cape Town Magistrates Court on January 28, 2020,” he said.
Another accuser said she regarded the 17-year-old as a brother until he allegedly forced himself on her.
“He called me to his house saying that there would be people, but there was no one (else). I then decided to stay and watch TV, he picked me up (and took me) to his room and locked the door.
“He took off his pants and my clothes; he was holding me roughly. He picked me up again and put me on the couch, which is when he forced himself on me. I was afraid to tell anyone, I thought people won’t believe me.”
A third accuser documented their alleged nightmare in a lengthy Instagram video. She emphasised that police had evidence about her alleged rape ordeal, which took place at the Hillsong Church.
“Waking up every Saturday morning to go and tell my story to the police over and over was not a nice thing. He is denying it, he doesn’t know that what he did was wrong,” she said, adding that the accused had allegedly violated many other young girls.
Family spokesperson Frank Raymond said he was not ready to comment on the allegations, but said the teenager “is innocent until proven guilty and I will be meeting him to discuss this further.”
A schoolmate of the accused said a lot of girls had complained about him at school and nothing was done about it.
“I sit next to him in the English class and he was telling me about a rape case he is currently involved in and how he is going to lie in court because his dad holds a high position in the DA.”
The classmate said the accused had threatened to rape her on several occasions, while spanking her buttocks had also become a norm, with the school allegedly taking no action.
Another schoolmate said the teenager frequently threatened to allegedly force himself on girls at school.
Another victim, who spoke anonymously, said she was sexually assaulted at a guest house. She said he kept on making sexual advances, which led her to scream for help until a friend came to her rescue.
DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi said the law must take its course, like with any other alleged sexual assault case.
The Star and IOL