Battles in the shadows

POSSIBILITIES AND GOODBYES

Latoya could not look her daughter in the eye as she served them some cinnamon rolls with orange juice. Advocate Karabelo drank only the juice as he mumbled something about calories and the like. Laura laughed briefly at how such a fit and good looking man could be so obsessed with his weight. One bite of cinnamon roll wouldn't kill now would it?

"I'm still a bachelor so bear with me."

"I have this friend who is single but I don't know if you will be able to handle her."

Laura offered, trying to create a cheerful atmosphere.

"Thanks. I will take up your offer some other time but now let us deal with the matter on ground."

"Of course, so your conclusion about the case?" Laura asked.

"We have two offences committed by Phillip and unfortunately under statutory law, he was no longer a minor at 18 years of age when the abuse started. According to the Children's Act of 2009 and the Interpretation Act, a child is someone below the age of 18 years. If we have to look at our Roman-Dutch common law, then minority ends at the age of 21 but either way, rape is a grievous offence with a minimum sentence of 10 years according to the Penal Code. It cannot fall under defilement because she was already 16 years old at the time and it was done without her consent, both offences carry the same minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment."

"Jesus Christ!" Latoya screamed out in anguish.

"I have more bad news so please let us remain calm as much as possible," Karabelo said and continued his assessment.

"It was just not rape but also accompanied with injury to the victim and that is 15 years imprisonment. We have another offence and that is abortion and that is 7 years imprisonment. Now, he might serve them concurrently depending on the judge so if he pleads guilty and shows that he is truly sorry for what he did and not waste the court's time, he could be given a lesser sentence especially given the fact that he is now a changed man with a family of his own."

"And the father?" Koketso asked nonchalantly.

"An accessory to rape...that is if it is true that he knew what his son did and remained silent, he is guilty of an offence and liable to an imprisonment not exceeding 3 years."

Latoya busted into fresh tears as her world collapsed around her. How could her plan to help another human being backfire so wickedly and tragically?

"If not because of that wicked Mama Joe, we could have resolved this amongst ourselves but she came in and ruined us all." Koketso said tightly. Since the night of the tragedy, she had been finding it hard to sleep at all without the help of sleeping pills. Vincent was her first and last love and premature death was never something she wished upon him despite everything.

"I heard she was buried yesterday." Karabelo offered.

"May she not rest in peace!"

"Mama!" Laura exclaimed in shock at Latoya.

"What! Because of that evil woman, your father and brother will be going to prison while she escaped the hangman's noose!" Latoya said bitterly.

Laura sighed in frustration at her mother's outbursts which she understood but it would be better if she showed just a little bit of remorse for ignoring what was so glaring instead of hiding away like a coward.

Brandon, where are you?

He had decided to take Faye and her children out for lunch while the other women met with the advocate.

"This looks bad, I mean really bad. But what about the Doctor that carried out the abortions?" Koketso asked in curiosity.

"He will be prosecuted under sections 162 of the Penal Code and he is not getting anything exceeding 3 years too."