Johannesburg - Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) will be at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday to observe a child sexual abuse case involving a former advocate of the High Court, Ashley Cook.
WMACA said in a statement that Cook is facing multiple child sexual abuse charges, allegedly starting when the child was six years old.
"The abuse was alleged to have occurred between 2004 and 2007, and then again in 2010. He faces four charges of indecent assault and one charge of sexual assault."
The matter was last before the court in October 2021 but was postponed at the request of the victim so she could travel for work and study purposes.
"The victim, who is now a young adult, is expected to continue her cross-examination on Wednesday, and her parents are expected to give testimony as well," read the statement.
WMACA says that according to the father, Cook was a close family friend who visited often and slept over on occasions.
"The girl was very young at the time, which makes it difficult to remember exact time frames, but she recalls times when the accused would visit her bedroom, as well as the things he did to her."
"The family only found out about the abuse years later, when the victim was a matriculant. A criminal case against Cook was then opened in 2017, and the matter has been on the roll since," added the children’s rights organisation.
WMACA said that they applauded the NPA for their courtesy in giving the victim time to travel and fulfil her dreams back then.
"We hope to see the same victim-centric approach for the remainder of the trial, first by making it a speedy one and second by giving the victim and her family the justice they deserve," read the statement.
The Star