Rape 'family tradition'
2006-07-10 22:58
Malelane - A man here allegedly raped his 14-year-old stepdaughter and then told her it was a family tradition.
The man said fathers traditionally had sex with their daughters, before they started sleeping with boys.
The alleged attack took place last month, but the case was only reported to Tonga police on Saturday when the girl told her uncle what had happened.
Her uncle went to confront the suspect, but found that he'd moved.
"The suspect had warned the girl that if she told anyone what had happened, he would go away, leaving her
mother without a husband," said Tonga police spokesperson Mzwandile Nyambi on Monday.
The girl was raped when her mother had left for work on the morning of June 29.
"Her stepfather called her to the main bedroom and told her that she was now mature as he had seen her with a boyfriend on the street.
"He said before the boyfriend could have sex with her, he should be the first one to do so in terms of the family's tradition," said Nyambi.
Her stepfather is still at large.