NO RELIEF FROM THE PAIN
The five children rescued from the ‘Springs House of Horror’ have not been able to get counselling. Here’s why
IT’S three years since the terrified young boy fled the dark and gloomy house in Springs on Gauteng’s East Rand, searching for help. After his dramatic escape the horrific claims about what had happened behind the face brick walls left many South Africans reeling – tales of abuse, neglect, rape and attempted murder allegedly perpetrated against the five children living there by the man and woman who’d brought them into the world.
Police investigated claims that the three sisters and two brothers had been held hostage for a decade in what would become known as the “Springs House of Horror”. After the children were removed from the house and taken to a place of safety there seemed to be a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, they could start rebuilding their lives.
The so-called “Springs Monster” and his ex-wife, who got divorced last year, each face 20 counts of child abuse, assault and attempted murder of their children (now aged between four and 19 years). He’s also been charged with the rape of his eldest daughter.
But it now turns out that three years on, while their parents are standing trial in the high court in Pretoria, the children’s nightmare is far from over.
Since their removal from the house none of them has received counselling or psychological treatment. And as strange as it may sound to deny a vulnerable child support, it’s nothing unusual, legal experts say.
The reason, explains a state prosecutor who asked not to be named, is that the children may still be called as witnesses in the trial, which has been postponed until October.
Apparently it’s “court practice” not to allow certain child victims counselling for fear that it might “taint” their testimony, causing the prosecution to fail and offenders to walk free.
Social work experts and even police officials are unhappy about the practice. They warn that children can suffer permanent psychological damage if they don’t receive psychological treatment or counselling quickly enough – and later often display behavioural problems.
Luvuyo Mfaku, spokesperson for the national prosecuting authority (NPA), rejects the assertion that psychological treatment isn’t permitted. He tells us prosecutors actually prefer it if children are counselled immediately after their forensic assessment because if the trauma has been addressed they cope better in court. “They become better witnesses,” he says. “By the time they have to go to court the trauma has subsided and they’re in a better position to testify.”
But Mandy*, the mother of a rape victim, tells a different story altogether. After the youngest of her three daughters was raped in front of her sisters, Mandy was informed by the state her children couldn’t get counselling before they testified “because the rapist’s advocate said the children’s testimonies would be prompted”, she tells us.
Her daughter’s testimony was taken down by a psychologist because she was too young to testify – but she received no further professional support. “We were busy with that trial for a year and a bit and it was hell at home,” she says.
“She used to be the sweetest daughter anyone could ask for. But after what happened, she would for example grab my cellphone from my hand. If I took it back, she’d start tearing out clumps of hair from her head in frustration. She even stabbed one of her sisters with a knife while she was sleeping.”