A 28-year-old interior decorator went to the Central Criminal Investigation Department (CCID) office in Central Barracks on Friday, October 28 to report a case of sexual abuse against her. This crime, which dates back 25 years, was first committed by her uncle when she was only 3 years old. The 67-year-old suspect was arrested on Tuesday, November 01. The same day, he was brought before the Souillac court on a provisional charge of “causing child to be sexually abused”. He was released on a bail of Rs 5,000 and an IOU of Rs 25,000. He denied the charge against him.
This woman, a resident of a tourist village in the western region of the country, said she was sexually abused by this uncle in 1997, when she was only 3 years old. She recounted these disturbing facts in great detail in her statement to CCID investigators on the afternoon of Friday, October 28. It was in the absence of her parents, who were on vacation in France. She was alone in a room with this uncle. The latter had asked her to do a… The other time was the same thing when she was about 8 years old. She says she doesn’t remember the date or the year. She was in the bedroom of a villa owned by this uncle in Pointe d’Esny, Blue Bay when he placed her on his lap. He then started kissing her neck and ears. She was asked to wait for him in another room where he made her do the same thing as the first time.
The young woman, still tormented by the perverse acts of her uncle, believes that it was in 2006 and that she was perhaps 12 years old while her parents were on vacation in Tanzania. This uncle had, once again, made her do the same thing to satisfy his sexual urge. In December of the same year, still in Tanzania, her uncle had sex with her.
Each time, she felt distressed and traumatized. At that time, she did not tell the police because she was not aware that it was a case of sexual abuse. In 2016, she says she began therapy with a psychologist. It was only after several sessions that she realized what she had experienced at the hands of her uncle. Her psychologist had been the first person she confided in. The victim had already been examined by a medical examiner.
The suspect, who was arrested on the morning of Tuesday, November 01, was identified by her niece at the Criminal Investigation Division in Plaine-Magnien as the person who had sexually abused her on several occasions. On the same day, he was presented in court in Souillac. He is facing a provisional charge of “causing child to be sexually abused”. He was later released on a bail of Rs 5000 and an IOU of Rs 25 000.
The police have issued an Objection to Departure against the suspect, who was due to fly to New Zealand on Sunday 13 November.
