The mother, her berk and their landlord, who allegedly assaulted her 10-year-old son by beating him with a sjambok and forcing him to sit in cold water after he was apparently raped, have been released on R1500 bail each.
The 33-year-old mother, her boyfriend, 37 and their landlord appeared at the Goodwood Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The mother, who cannot be named to protect the identity of her son, is facing a charge of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Prosecutors are set to prove she placed her son’s wrist on a hot plate on the stove to teach him a lesson after he apparently stole money from her.
The landlord allegedly raped the little boy in his toilet at his Elsies River home earlier this year and then blindfolded him before putting him in a bath of cold water.
The mother’s berk i s also facing a charge of assault after he allegedly beat the child with a sjambok and also placed him in a bath of cold water after he wet the bed.
HORROR: Boy, 10, who was ‘sjambokked, burnt and raped’, is in care of grandparents
The suspects have been released on bail as they no longer posed a threat to the victim after the child was removed by social workers.
The matter was postponed to 4 June.
The boy and his siblings, aged seven, 15 and 18, are now in the care of their paternal grandparents in Delft.
The four children were previously in the care of their father, who passed away in September 2017 after a battle with cancer.
It was revealed that the two younger children ran away in October 2018, but were found in a graveyard in Delft where they had been hiding.
The suspects were accompanied by relatives who paid for their bail.
During proceedings, the couple hugged, which angered the community members in court.
Community leader, Wilhemina Heynes, says they had gathered over 300 signatures for a petition to keep the suspects behind bars, but this was ignored by the court.
“They have shown no remorse. What about the children? Their grandparents, who are pensioners, cannot support four children and there is no help from [the Department of] Social Development.”