Victim tells court how she was raped

An 18-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by her 17-year-old uncle 10 years ago said today that she had never wanted the case to end up in court, but wanted her parents to tell her uncle that he was making a grave mistake.

The girl recounted her experiences to a jury this morning and said she still felt uncomfortable when she was with her boyfriend.

The girl, whose name cannot be published by court order, said she used to go to her grandmother's house every weekend.

One Saturday morning she went with her uncle to the roof. Soon after they got there, he pulled her pants down and started performing lewd acts.

She then described how she was raped and threatened not to say anything to anyone.

Scared and in pain, the girl promised not to tell anyone.

She put her dirty clothes in a bag and did not let her grandmother wash them.

Her mother saw the blood on my panties and the following Monday took her to a doctor who told her that it was her period.

The following week the same thing happened again.

At one time she told her mother that she did not want to go to her grandmother's house again.

However when she was at the house again she was raped in her uncle's room while her grandmother was out.

On another occasion, at Hal Far, she was forced to perform lewd acts in her grandfather's car, which the accused used to drive. The girl said she had resisted but he forced her to.

The girl said she did not speak up until she was 13 when she realised what had happened during a personal and social development class. She then told a close friend.

"When I closed my eyes I would remember what had happened. I told my friend to tell my mother because I was scared my mother would react badly and possibly hit me," the girl said.

"It was only after I had done some tests and a doctor said that I was not a virgin that my mother believed me. She was shocked because she didn't expect this from her brother.

"She was torn between helping me and trying to help my uncle. Me and my mother were always fighting because of this."

She said the whole family broke up, her brothers and sisters started threatening her by phoning her on her mobile. They blamed her mother even though it was her grandfather who told her to file a report.

Her uncle's girlfriend would also send SMSs to her mother, threatening her. She was warned that if her uncle went to prison, they would all suffer.

Later, the girl said, it was her grandfather who also told her mother to drop the case.

The girl said she had not wanted the case to reach this stage, but had wanted her parents to believe her and to warn her uncle about his mistakes.

The trial continues.