UPDATE: Child rape accused in court
Four teens arrested for the rape, molestation and assault of young boys appeared in court
THE mother of a boy who survived a horrific child rape ordeal in eSikhaleni, says the incident has severely traumatized her son, who now suffers constant nightmares.
Speaking to the Zululand Observer on Tuesday while waiting for the suspects to appear in court, the 29-year-old mother said the boy was still grappling to come to terms with what happened to him.
‘Apart from the nightmares, he refuses to go to school. It’s clear the incident damaged him far more than we realised. I fear he will never be the same again,’ said the concerned mother.
The young lad was one of 10 young boys aged between 8 and 12 years who were beaten, molested and forced to rape each by a group of teenagers at Injunga Dam in the uMkhobose area two weeks ago.
Four teenage boys aged between 15 and 19 appeared in the eSikhawini District Magistrate’s Court on charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and compelled rape.
They were arrested two days after the incident after being identified in a video which circulated on social networks.
According to Lt Colonel Makhosi Ncube of the Empangeni Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit (FCS), all victims are undergoing trauma counselling at Zululand Mental Health.
Two older suspects will remain at the eSikhaleni police holding cells and the other two were transported to the Elsier Place of Safety in Pinetown.
The case was postponed to 24 February.
