Child 'abuser' denied bail

Fifty from Imizamo Yethu signed a petition urging the court to deny bail

- NAMHLA MONAKALI

A 47-year-old man accused of sexually abusing his nine-year-old niece by marriage has been denied bail following his appearance in the Wynberg Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 4 June. The man has been in police custody since his arrest on Tuesday 20 May.

The child had been living with her aunt and uncle in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay, for nearly a year while her mother was recovering from illness in the Eastern Cape.

According to evidence submitted in court, the child's aunt contacted her mother after growing concerned about the girl's well-being. The mother returned to Cape Town and took her daughter to Victoria Hospital, where medical professionals confirmed she had suffered injuries consistent with penetration. The child has since been referred to forensic social workers and is receiving trauma counselling.