Abuse victim defaced

This mother has lived to tell the tale after she was beaten half to death, allegedly by her 20-year-old boyfriend.

Verity Engel, 31, will now undergo reconstructive surgery to her face after she was left disfigured in the attack on February 11 inside her Capricorn home, moments after she breastfed her four-month-old baby son.

Verity suffered a broken cheekbone, broken jaw, broken eye socket and her lip was cut open.

On Friday, she is expected to undergo reconstructive surgery, where metal plates will be placed into her face after doctors said the wounds would not heal naturally.

Verity’s boyfriend, Tyler Maart, is expected back in the Muizenberg Magistrates’ Court on March 6 where he is facing a charge of attempted murder.

Verity says she knew her berk as “Taariq Steenkamp” for nearly two years before finding out his real identity upon his arrest.

After the beating, Verity was in a coma for two days.

She was only discharged from hospital last week and yesterday showed the Daily Voice her blood that’s still splattered on her walls, clothing and even on her son’s bib.

The divorced mom has two other children, aged eight and four.

BOYFRIEND: Tyler Maart, 20

On the fateful day, Maart had allegedly been quarrelling with Verity’s friend who had accused him of being a drug addict.

When the friend left, Maart allegedly turned on her, hitting her unconscious while she lay in bed with their baby son.

“When my friend left, he gave me a few smacks and said I do not stand up for him or take his side,” says Verity.

“I remained quiet and only told him he is no longer to sleep at my home on weekends.

“We broke up several times and I desperately tried to keep this man away from me.

“I even had him blocked at our security gate at the complex and he would come back, making threats and begging me to take him back.

“I went to bed and pulled the covers over me and then he came inside and started hitting me.

“I remember waking up thinking why am I hearing the water run.

“I felt that my face was wet, I saw blood on my hand and felt my entire chest was swollen.

“I saw him from the corner of my eye, confidently washing his hands in the toilet...he must have thought I was dead.”

She dragged herself to the front door, and started running when Maart followed her.

But as soon as he saw their neighbour, who is a police officer, he turned back.

She says the officer found Maart sitting in her lounge “with a knife in his hands”.

“He was going to kill me,”’ she adds.

Verity claims Maart was jealous and didn’t support her or their child financially: “He never touched my body, but he beat my face, he wanted to make me look like this because he doesn’t want anyone else to have me.”

Verity’s friend and neighbour, who asked not to be identified, says they are rallying for support: “We want women organisations and women abuse agencies to support us at court and help other women like Verity.”