DUMISANE LUBISI, Belfast | Friday
A WIDOW who allegedly forced her young children to perform sexual acts with two men in return for payment appeared briefly in the Belfast Magistrate’s Court this week.
The unidentified mother of the two children, a 13-year-old boy and 10-year-old girl, was unable to raise R 1_000 bail and has been held in police cells since her arrest on January 9.
Her co-accused, Daniel Francois Botha, 57, and Andries Johannes van der Mescht, 37, were not granted bail and the case was postponed until January 25.
The three have not been asked to plead to charges of indecent assault, crimen injuria and sexual deeds with under-aged children.
The woman allegedly forced her two children to watch while she had sex with Botha, a security company owner and auctioneer, and his unemployed friend.
Police said the three beat and swore at the siblings when they tried to resist, and then later paid them for their services.
Botha and Van der Mescht also allegedly got two 14-year-old girls drunk and showed them pornographic videos and magazines. The teenagers were made to strip naked, give their underwear to one of the men and perform oral sex.
“A list was drawn up with hideous sexual deeds that the girls had to do in exchange for payment,” said Inspector Marlene Waldeck at the time of the arrest.
Detectives have not established whether the teenage girls were raped. Concerned neighbours alerted police about the activities.
A social worker is arranging for the woman’s children to be taken to a place of safety, and all four children involved will be counselled at state expense.
Police are also investigating how long the alleged abuse had been going on, and if the two accused men are part of a paedophile syndicate. – African Eye News Service