Kid 'cheaper than prostitute'

2005-04-18 22:08

Liela Magnus

Pretoria - A grandfather abused his granddaughter because buying sweets for the toddler was cheaper than paying for a prostitute.

This is the reason a 54-year-old East Lynne man offered in mitigation of sentence on Monday in Pretoria regional court.

Earlier, he had pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual assault.

He admitted he forced his three-year-old granddaughter (now five) to engage in oral sex, among other things.

He was sentenced by magistrate Len Kotze to a 15-year jail sentence.

While testifying, the man conceded there could have been more incidences where he took sexual advantage of his granddaughter, but said he couldn't remember them.

"I am not an attractive man. I can't go out and pick up a girl. That leaves only one of two options - the one is what I did with the child, the other is paying a prostitute.

"I chose the child because it was cheaper," he said.

Drinking problem for 23 years

The man testified that he used tips he earned as petrol attendant to buy sweets for the little girl.

His drinking problem of the past 23 years was, according to him, the reason he couldn't remember everything that happened at the time.

This problem was also why he didn't give a damn what harm he was causing his granddaughter.

"For the first time in 23 years, I am sober. Now I realise one has a conscience. My conscience is eating me day and night; I can't sleep," he said.

While testifying he sometimes cried, but mostly stared at his hands.

According to him, he was the reason his daughter was a Johannesburg prostitute today.

More than 10 years ago, he was found guilty of indecently assaulting her.

Therapy for rest of her life

Kotzé said the man's actions turned his granddaughter into a "breathing corpse".

"She is in such a state that, to function as a human, she will have to undergo therapy for the rest of her life," he said.

Initially, the little girl's mother, a domestic worker, one of the girl's uncles, another man and a prostitute were also charged in the same case.

However, the charge against them was dropped last year when the magistrate did not want to grant a further extension.

- Beeld