By A Correspondent- A 21 year old woman who was allegedly rap_ed by her father over a nine-year period has refused to end their se_xual relationship. The woman, who has since fallen preg_nant, identified another man as her baby’s father but it was later revealed that her father had impreg_nated her.

The woman’s refusal to end the affair has caused a rift in the family and a team of social workers has been assigned to investigate the matter with a view to providing counselling to the family and offering ongoing psychosocial support to the woman who has suffered humiliation at the hands of her stepdaughter.

“Our team of social workers will also have sessions with the girl and provide her with psychosocial support,” said KZN MEC for Social Development, Nonhlanhla Khoza.

Furthermore, Khoza has called on police to investigate and charge the father.

“This man should face statutory rap_e since he started to sleep with his daughter while still a minor,” the MEC said.

It is alleged that the girl and her father began a se_xual relationship when she was 12.

It is further alleged that the 52-year-old man began rap_ing his daughter when she would come over to visit him.

Khoza said the girl lost her mother and stayed with her sibling, father and stepmother.

She expressed shock at the incident adding that such acts showed that there were those in communities who had lost their moral compass.

Khoza called on communities to stand together and call out those involved in child abuse, rap_e and gender-based violence.

“If the communities did not keep quiet for so long, such dastardly acts may have been averted earlier. Our communities should understand that ignoring cases of sexual exploitation perpetuates such actions.

“We want to appeal to the SAPS to conduct a thorough investigation and put forward a strong case for prosecution against the man. As a society, we need to send a strong message to perpetrators of such crimes that we have zero tolerance for their disgusting behaviour,” Khoza said.

-IOL