By Bongiwe Dlamini | 2025-03-17

SAFETY in some homes is no longer guaranteed as horrific abuse lately happens right in the home environment.
A latest case is one whereby a 37-year-old man allegedly repeatedly raped his 10-year-old niece.

*Rose no longer felt safe even when within the confines of her room as her uncle would allegedly sneak in and violate her before threatening to beat her if she reported him.
The incident happened in November, 2022 at Croydon where Rose lived with her grandmother, mother, another minor, and the accused.

Croydon is an area under Mkhiweni Constituency in the Manzini region.
The matter was heard by Principal Magistrate David Khumalo at the Manzini Magistrate’s Court where *Musa was slapped with three charges.

One is for allegedly raping his niece who trusted him. This offence was accompanied by aggravating factors in that the accused breached the element of trust between himself and Rose, and that the abuse may cause lasting trauma on the minor.

The second offence was for contravening Section 36 of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act by allegedly indecently treating the minor.
This offence attracts a 25-year sentence.
The last charge against Musa was for allegedly attempting to escape from police custody after being arrested in December, 2022.

When the charges were read to him, the accused pleaded not guilty.
In court, the now 12-year-old Rose who is doing Grade IV, when narrating the ordeal, said it was during the night when her uncle *Musa first abused her.
She said she was asleep in her bedroom she shared with another minor. Rose said her uncle went into the room holding the sleeping minor child in his arms.

After he laid the child on the bed, Rose recalled that while awake, she saw her uncle get on top of her and violated her.
“I tried to push him away using open hands, but failed. He continued abusing me even when I complained of feeling pain,” stated Rose.

When all this happened, the minor said the electricity light was on so she was able to recognise her uncle. After he was done, the 37-year-old is said to have left the house through a window.
“The following morning, he came to my room again and found me naked as I was bathing. He inappropriately touched me and asked to sleep with me.

I told him that I will report him to my grandmother because what he was doing constituted abuse,” related Rose.
However, the uncle allegedly threatened to beat her up if she dared reported him.
Despite the threat, Rose confided in her two friends about the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her uncle while other elders were away. The other children reported the matter to adults, including Rose’s mother, who called the police.

One of Rose’s two confidantes and her mother also testified against Musa, corroborating her statement.
Despite the testimonies, Musa maintained that he was not guilty of any of the charges levelled against him. The matter is still pending before Magistrate Khumalo.

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SAFETY in some homes is no longer guaranteed as horrific abuse lately happens right in th...

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