Heartsore dad speaks out as rape trial looms

THE father of a 15-year-old East London girl who laid a rape complaint after a party held at a Beacon Bay bed and breakfast last year has not hugged her since the incident.

“I don’t know when the right time to do so is,” said the emotional father, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his daughter.

A case of rape was opened at the Beacon Bay police station after the Grade 10 pupil was allegedly raped at the party where more than 400 revellers – many of them pupils from some of East London’s top schools – ran amok on September 24.

East London police spokeswoman Warrant-Officer Hazel Mqala said the case had been transferred to the family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) unit.

“On January 18 consultation between the investigating officer, the victim and her guardians were held at the East London Magistrate’s Court. Although we were not ruling out a possibility that more girls could have been raped, only this case was opened and there is a 17-year-old suspect.”

Mqala said the suspect – who also cannot be named due the nature of the crime and the fact he is a minor – had already been arrested and released into the custody of his parents.

She said he would make a court appearance next week.

The Daily Dispatch reported in September how more than 400 people ran amok at the B&B in Beacon Bay’s Flamingo Crescent.

Police and private security were called to the scene after events threatened to get out of hand.

The father of the young woman said his daughter had come home after the party and had gone to church with them on Sunday morning, not mentioning the incident.

“I guess she was scared to talk to us about it.”

However, a friend of their daughter’s alerted them to her ordeal.

“All I want is for my daughter to be her old, bubbly herself again,” he said.

The father said his daughter had not gone out since the incident and often locked herself in her room.

He said support from her school had been overwhelmingly good.

“The school had recommended that she not write the final examination but she wrote it. As a father I am grappling to come to terms with this, but she wrote and passed.” —