Atlantis father and son, alleged to have sexually abused sisters, granted bail

Cape Town – A father and son from Atlantis, a small town off the West Coast in Cape Town, have been granted bail in the Atlantis Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

The 56-year-old father and his 23-year-old son appeared on charges relating to sexual abuse, rape and sexual grooming of minors for sexual abuse.

The pair were granted bail of R2 000 each, with stringent conditions.

The court ordered the pair to stay away from any family gatherings, they are to report to the Atlantis police station every Saturday, and they have had to hand in their passports and cellphones.

The victims are related to the two accused.

The two men were arrested during the early hours on Friday morning at their residence in Protea Park.

Provincial police spokesperson Colonel André Traut said the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit conducted the arrests.

He said this followed after the father and son allegedly abused two sisters over a number of years.

“The victims, who are now 16 and 19 years old respectively, have been abused by the suspects from the age of seven and 10, respectively,” Traut said.

He said the information pertaining to the abuse came to light after one of the victims allegedly tried to commit suicide.

Speaking to African News Agency (ANA), Janine Passenz from the Survivors Haven Foundation, a local organisation which advocates against gender-based violence (GBV), said she was appalled at the court’s decision to grant the two accused men bail.

“There are a lot more of these types of crimes happening in our communities. Victims never had the guts to step forward.

“I’m not happy when sex offenders gets released on bail. It’s like a step backwards for our victims that had the guts to report these crimes.

“I want to ask perpetrators to stop destroying the lives of young girls and women. Victims should not suffer in silence,” Passenz said.

She has urged victims to reach out to the foundation for assistance.

Passenz also urged parents to take note of their children’s behavioural patterns and not take things lightly when they see a change.

The case against the father and son has been postponed until August 5, 2021.

African News Agency (ANA)