South Africa: Pulane Priscilla Mokgothu

My name is Pulane Priscilla Mokgothu.
I’m 35 years old.
I was born in Kimberly, Northern Cape.

I am not employed at the moment and don’t have a business. I would appreciate it if I could start up a small business and be self-reliant and independent.

At the age of 6 years, I was staying with my mom and my aunt. In our street there was a man staying opposite our house; he was about 70s. He used to visit our house, and my family took him as their family.

So one day I was sitting outside the house and I was alone at home, so this man came to our house and asked if there was anyone home, and I said no, I’m alone. Then he said to me I must close the door and go with him to his house, and I did, and I didn’t know why. When we got to his house, he took me to his bedroom and told me to sit on the bed, and he picked me up and put me on the bed and put the TV ON and put the CD on the video; it was a porn video. Whilst the video was playing, he asked me to do exactly what I saw; I didn’t say a thing. Then he came to me and took off my clothes; he took off his clothes as well. He said that he wouldn’t hurt me, and then he rubbed his penis against my vagina till he ejaculated; he didn’t penetrate me. After what he did, he wiped me and himself and dressed me. He then gave me sweets and a R2 coin, and he told me that I must not tell anyone.

When my parents got home, later on my mom had to bathe me. While she was bathing me and bathing my legs, my vagina was burning and I was crying, and my mom asked me if I had played with boys, then she gave me a hiding and she dressed me. The following day, the man did the same thing to me again; he did it over and over again till the age of 12 years. When I was 12 years old, he invited his 4 friends while he was taking me to school as my transport service provider. He told his friends to meet with him at a place that was called “Die langbome,” currently called Phutanang. When we got there, he told me not to get out of the car and met up with his friends. I saw the talking but didn’t hear what they were talking about. They turned their heads towards the car where I was sitting. The uncle, “the one who was always violating me sexually,” came to the car. He told me to get out of the car; he held my hand and walked with me in the direction where the other men were. When we got there, he told me to lie down and told me to take off my pants. I said no, I don’t want to because I must go to school. The man then pushed me to the ground, and the others pinned my hands and legs down. The uncle then got on top of me, and he started to rub his penis against my vagina as usual. He didn’t penetrate me but ejaculated; thereafter, the other man who was his friend penetrated me; the rest took turns penetrating me. When the third man came on top of me, I passed out; they left me at the bushes and left with my transport provider, who was my neighbour.

When I gained consciousness, I saw blood all over my body. I tried to crawl out of the bushes; I couldn’t walk on my own; I was in pain. Some passerby woman saw me, and she came to my rescue and asked where I stayed. I told her that I was scared going home as my mom would beat me up. I asked her to take me to school, and when I got to school, the teacher took me to the hospital. I was admitted for 3 days. The police fetched me from the hospital when I was discharged and took me home. They spoke to my family and asked me some questions, but I didn’t respond to any questions. These men were never arrested because I was afraid of our neighbour because he threatened me.

My mom’s boyfriend also raped me once, and I never told my mom about it.
I am not employed at the moment and don’t have a business. I would appreciate it if I could start up a small business and be self-reliant and independent.