‘SHE IS NOT THE SAME’
Mom of abducted Hanover Park girl speaks after she was found with convicted child rapist
ANGER: Hanover Park residents have called for this rapist to be removed from society
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Newspapers
CHAOS: Community members standing outside the house of a man who allegedly kidnapped a 9-year-old girl in Hanover Park.
Image: Supplied
“SHE is not the same child”.
Those are the haunting words of the mom of the Hanover Park whose daughter was found with a convicted child rapist who is charged with the rape and kidnapping of the nine-year-old meisie.
She spoke out after learning that the 51-year-old accused was out on parole after being sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in 2008 for raping a 10-year-old.
The parolee appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates Court on Friday where he was formally charged with rape, kidnapping, human trafficking, and sexual assault after being found with the girl following allegedly abducting her last Tuesday after giving her a R20 to buy him some milk.
According to the Department of Correctional Services (DCS), the accused has been identified as Isaac Booi on their system, however, he appeared in court under a different name. The court ordered the accused's name not be used due to him not having any legal counsel at this time.
The matter against the convicted rapist has been postponed until 23 May due to his lack of legal representation.
Outside court, the grandmother described feeling an unbearable lump in her throat as the accused interrupted proceedings to complain about his alleged mistreatment in custody.
She said: “To think, my granddaughter walked into that man’s house thinking she was helping someone. That’s the kind of child she is kind and trusting. But she walked straight into evil. Now he has the audacity to complain that he was assaulted in custody, when he destroyed my granddaughter’s innocence.”
Her mother said her girl is traumatised and is “not the same child”.
She added: “She was always full of life, but now she just stops mid-play and zones out. Sometimes, without warning, she vomits.
“We don’t know if it’s from the medication, but it’s something new. She’s not the same child”.
The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo says it will look into initiating the parole revocation process as the accused was previously convicted of rape.
He says: “Following his court appearance on Friday, the department will initiate the parole revocation process.
“This process will be concluded within the prescribed 14-day period, in line with DCS internal procedures.”