Man back on streets after blinding mother-in-law with a knife
ALEXANDRA – Mother seeks justice against an attacker who has left her partially blind.
A 47-year-old mother of four from 16th Avenue feels let down by the police and the court for releasing her attacker.
The woman, Johanna Sekalo, blames the police for not presenting a firm case and effecting a restraining order against the attacker. She is also angry at the court for not letting her take to the stand in aggravation, resulting in the attacker being released while she languishes in pain, trying to adjust to a life without full use of both eyes.
Sekalo was stabbed in the eye last year October by her daughter’s boyfriend with whom she has a child. Sekalo said this was during a quarrel when she sought answers from him for abusing the daughter.
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She works at a care centre and said the incident, which traumatises her and her children, affects her work. She is sometimes mocked for her condition by people associated with her attacker and is uncertain about her family’s safety.
She said instead of responding, the man punched her and when she defended herself, he ran to his home and returned wielding a knife. He stabbed her from the eyebrow downwards, into the eye socket, narrowly missing her eye but tearing her nerves and veins, resulting in blood gushing from the eye and nostrils.
She said people watched and screamed as he plunged the knife into her but was spared further injury by a man who knocked the knife out of his hand with a brick. She said the attacker ran away while she was rushed to hospital where she was hospitalised for days and told she wouldn’t fully recover the use of her eye as the eyelid can’t open voluntarily from the injury. She now experiences pain and gets the shivers when she touches her nose. She also has to attend costly and regular medical treatment which will be prolonged with rehabilitation.
She pressed a charge against him after her release from hospital and he was arrested but released after several court appearances, without her appearing before the magistrate.
She said after lodging a complaint on the last court date, court officials said he was released after paying an undisclosed amount of money in lieu of a 30-day sentence and also for pleading guilty and being remorseful.
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Sekalo also said the man brought the restraining order to her home with an instruction that police knew where he stayed if they needed him.
She alleged that the police told her they would make him pay for her medical costs but didn’t ask for the cost breakdown. She added that he is unemployed and supported the child he has with the daughter only once with a set of Pampers.
She said the police also advised her to reinstate the case through the daughter for domestic abuse which, she said, was strange as her case was for grievous bodily harm or attempted murder. Sikalo stated that the attacker was known to have had several brushes with the law, which he seems to evade.
Click here to read more crime news from Alexandra.
Her case was reported on Alex FM radio recently where many complaints were raised on domestic violence and women abuse. A counsellor called in and committed to help her.
The police have urged citizens with complaints to also contact the station commander on 082 319 9429.
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