Verulam abuse victim 'on the road to recovery'
Social workers say a 10-year-old Verulam girl - whose stepfather was last month arrested for allegedly holding her captive and repeatedly raping her, over the course of the last five years - is on the road to recovery.
The spokesperson for the Department of Social Development, Ncumisa Ndelu, says the child is being closely monitored.
“The little girl is receiving treatment - in the form of therapy - and the department is working very hard to ensure that her life is returned to some kind of normalcy,” Ndelu says, “We obviously can not go into much detail and we also do not want to keep reminding her of the horror of what has happened to her”.
The girl’s 43-year-old stepfather faces a total of 10 charges, including rape - of which the State says there are at least 900 instances - and sexual grooming of a minor.
He is due back in the Verulam Magistrates Court tomorrow for the continuation of his bail application.
In the meantime, authorities are trying to place the girl in school.
It is alleged that her stepfather has not been allowing her to go.
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