Doctor arrested for raping own son (8)
A local medical doctor practicing at Katutura State Hospital, and who assists the Namibian Police’s gender-based violence unit with rape cases in Windhoek, was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly repeatedly raping his eight-year-old son.
The rapes reportedly started when the child was just a baby.
The doctor’s mother – who is the boy’s grandmother - was also arrested as an accomplice to the heinous crime, police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi confirmed. Their names cannot be revealed in order to protect the identity of the victim.
It is alleged that the doctor started raping his son when the boy was only a few months old, prompting his wife’s suspicion. This was after the mother noticed sores around the baby’s anus. She immediately suggested that cameras be installed in the house in order to catch the perpetrator. Her husband allegedly rejected the idea, and started accusing her of being a ‘drug addict’ who was imagining things.
With the woman not backing down from the idea of installing cameras, the man allegedly moved out of their home. Soon after, the couple started the divorce process, with the man insisting on getting custody of their son.
It is alleged that during this custody battle, the boy was allowed to visit his father, an opportunity the man allegedly used to rape the child again.
Grandmother knew
Although the boy was initially scared, he later confessed his father’s sins, and told investigators that his grandmother was aware of the repeated abuse. The father allegedly told investigators that he was raped as a child himself.
It was after the father’s claims of being abused that local gender and child protection specialist Veronica Theron was roped in to mediate and provide psychological evaluations of both parties.
She denied claims that she and one of the man’s friends were aware of the rape allegations.
“I vehemently deny the allegations. I accompanied the biological mother to paediatricians to get proof of the allegations [of rape], but to no avail. I saw the child on the first of several sessions in the custody of the mother as well as in the custody of his dad, and I could not get any disclosure of sexual inappropriate knowledge or behaviour at the time,” she told Namibian Sun last night.
She also denied allegations that she and the alleged rapist are friends.
“I was never a friend of [the father’s] family. I first met [him] at court after the mother’s lawyer requested me to intervene, and thereafter both lawyers asked the court to appoint me,” she said.
Theron added: “The court appointed me in my private capacity to deal with the custody battle during their divorce, and I submitted a report to the High Court with all my professional findings. My report was backed up by professional reports by psychologists, medical doctors, paediatricians and medical specialists after thorough investigations”.
The rapes reportedly started when the child was just a baby.
The doctor’s mother – who is the boy’s grandmother - was also arrested as an accomplice to the heinous crime, police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi confirmed. Their names cannot be revealed in order to protect the identity of the victim.
It is alleged that the doctor started raping his son when the boy was only a few months old, prompting his wife’s suspicion. This was after the mother noticed sores around the baby’s anus. She immediately suggested that cameras be installed in the house in order to catch the perpetrator. Her husband allegedly rejected the idea, and started accusing her of being a ‘drug addict’ who was imagining things.
With the woman not backing down from the idea of installing cameras, the man allegedly moved out of their home. Soon after, the couple started the divorce process, with the man insisting on getting custody of their son.
It is alleged that during this custody battle, the boy was allowed to visit his father, an opportunity the man allegedly used to rape the child again.
Grandmother knew
Although the boy was initially scared, he later confessed his father’s sins, and told investigators that his grandmother was aware of the repeated abuse. The father allegedly told investigators that he was raped as a child himself.
It was after the father’s claims of being abused that local gender and child protection specialist Veronica Theron was roped in to mediate and provide psychological evaluations of both parties.
She denied claims that she and one of the man’s friends were aware of the rape allegations.
“I vehemently deny the allegations. I accompanied the biological mother to paediatricians to get proof of the allegations [of rape], but to no avail. I saw the child on the first of several sessions in the custody of the mother as well as in the custody of his dad, and I could not get any disclosure of sexual inappropriate knowledge or behaviour at the time,” she told Namibian Sun last night.
She also denied allegations that she and the alleged rapist are friends.
“I was never a friend of [the father’s] family. I first met [him] at court after the mother’s lawyer requested me to intervene, and thereafter both lawyers asked the court to appoint me,” she said.
Theron added: “The court appointed me in my private capacity to deal with the custody battle during their divorce, and I submitted a report to the High Court with all my professional findings. My report was backed up by professional reports by psychologists, medical doctors, paediatricians and medical specialists after thorough investigations”.
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