Times Of Swaziland: MAN (30) REPEATEDLY RAPES GIRL (12) MAN (30) REPEATEDLY RAPES GIRL (12) ================================================================================ Melisa Msweli and Sibusiso Zwane on 21/09/2024 08:42:00 MBABANE – Her breasts are barely developed for breastfeeding a baby but 15-year-old girl is now a parent. Loli, not her real name, is a mother to a three-year-old baby. She fell pregnant after being repeatedly raped for several weeks when she was only 12 years old. Her then 30-year-old neighbour allegedly raped her repeatedly until she fell pregnant. The alleged abuser is now 33 years old. In an interview with Eswatini News, conducted in the presence of a guardian, the girl revealed that the alleged rape ordeal happened so many times. She could not recount the number of times she was sexually abused before she fell pregnant. She does not have an income; after all, she is a child herself and is unemployed. Sadly, Loli has been left to support her baby on her own means. She told this newspaper that she was sexually violated in Siteki, east of Eswatini, where she lived with her maternal grandmother. Her biological mother died when she was a toddler. It is understood that her father was not present in her life until he resurfaced a month ago. Loli was speaking in the presence of her stepmother whom she also recently met. She narrated that the rape ordeal led her to become a mother at the age of 12 years. She said it all started inside a pit latrine when the now 33-year-old man who was her neighbour allegedly raped her. During the alleged rape, she explained that she had gone to the pit latrine in the evening when Jabha (not his real name) followed her inside and proceeded to rape her. Forced At the time of the alleged incident, she said she was 12 years old. She said the man forced himself on her, and she cried out for help. However, despite her screams, she lamented that no one came to her rescue. “After the horrible experience with him I went back to my grandmother’s house. I was limping as I was in pain in my abdomen from the encounter. My grandmother noticed the limp and asked me what had happened as she thought maybe I had fallen. I told her I had developed a boil on my inner thigh and could not walk properly,” she said. When she was asked why she had not told her grandmother the truth, she responded that she was afraid of Jabha since he had threatened her with violence if she dared speak about the incident. This, according to Loli was allegedly the beginning of a traumatising cycle of repeated rape, which happened for months. The young girl revealed that Jabha managed to get her phone number and would summon her to come outside and if she refused he would threaten her. “I feared for my life and did whatever he asked me to do, I really feared him,” she said. At the time of the alleged rape, she mentioned that she was doing Grade IV at one of the primary schools in Siteki. She said her grandmother supported her financially, with her school fees being paid through the government’s Free Primary Education (FPE). When she fell pregnant, Loli said she had to drop out of school. That was when she had to reveal the secret to her grandmother. Worth noting is that when Loli reported that she was impregnated through rape by the adult male, her grandmother did not immediately report the matter to the police. This is despite the fact that it is illegal to indulge in sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 18 years. This is on the basis of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act 15 of 2018.The law requires that her guardians should report this to the police, for the law to take its course. To the contrary or against expectations, Loli’s grandmother is said to have proceeded to follow SiSwati custom by going to Jabha’s homestead to report the pregnancy. Impregnated Under SiSwati custom, when a woman who is not married is impregnated, her family is expected to report the pregnancy to the man’s family. “We were not welcome when we arrived and told to leave immediately. I was even threatened for saying I was impregnated by him,” she said. Loli said they left and her grandmother continued taking care of her during the pregnancy. She then revealed that after she had given birth at the Good Shepherd Catholic Hospital, her grandmother went to the Siteki Police Station where she reported the alleged rape. They even told police about the baby that had been born out of it. It has been established that when Jabha was allegedly confronted about rape by the police, he reportedly disputed the assertion that he had had sex with the young girl. He actually denounced allegations that he impregnated her. “Now what is strange is that he said he wanted a DNA test to prove if he was the father. Why would he want a DNA test if he never raped me?”questioned Loli. Loli said according to her knowledge, Jabha was not arrested even though he told the police he needed a DNA test which according to her should have been enough evidence for the police to prefer charges. But, she complained, Jabha is walking free. She said she even knew where he worked and that he was now a ‘happily married man’. As she narrated her story, her child interrupted, crying to be lifted up. Loli, who is said to have broken her arm last her when she fell from a tree, quickly picked up her child, but visibly struggled due to her fractured arm which has since not fully healed. The duo appeared more like siblings than mother and child, due to her tiny frame. Pregnancy in girls under the age of 13 years is a serious global concern, though its prevalence varies widely across regions. Inequality Early pregnancy in this age group often occurs in contexts of poverty, gender inequality, lack of education, or abuse, including child marriage or sexual violence. Africa and South Asia report the highest numbers of early pregnancies, particularly due to child marriages. In some countries, more than 30 per cent of girls are married before the age of 18, which contributes to pregnancies at very young ages. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has come up with guidelines on how counties could reduce the high rate of pregnancies of underage girls. Meanwhile, our sister publication the Times of Eswatini Daily copy, reported that there is an increase in the number of sexually abused children below the age of 13 years. This is according to the Violence Against Children and Youth Survey (VACS) 2022 final report. The report was presented to the Deputy Prime Minister (DPM)’s office.