The Atlantis community has reacted with horror to the arrest of a local woman for the alleged rape of her two biological children.
The 37-year-old woman made her second appearance in the Atlantis Magistrate’s Court on Monday, after her arrest last week.
She faces four counts of domestic rape.
The woman is accused of raping her 10-year-old daughter twice and her eight-year-old son twice.
The woman cannot be named to protect the identities of the children and to avoid secondary trauma to the minors.
Community shock
Atlantis ward councillor Allister Lightburn expressed shock at the case.
“A mother should be the primary caregiver and protector of her children, and it is a sad state of affairs when the mother initiates these heinous crimes against her own children. The law must take its course, and she must feel the full might of the law,” Lightburn said.
Speaking to IOL, Janine Passenz, of the Survivors Haven Foundation, a local organisation that advocates against gender-based violence and focuses on youth development, said the matter was brought to their attention.
“It has come to our attention that a case is in the Atlantis Magistrate’s Court where the accused is the mother. If that is true, the justice system must take its course. We must protect our most vulnerable and make sure the necessary support is given by the different departments,” Passenz said.
She urges the court to hold proceedings in camera to protect the minor victims in the case.
“I also want to ask our community not to post these types of cases on social media to protect the identity of minor victims. Our community must make use of all the resources in our community to strengthen the fight against gender-based violence (GBV),” Passenz said.
The mother is expected back in court on September 14, for a formal bail application.
