Girl, 11, raped after surviving heart surgery

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Cape Town - An 11-year-old girl who survived major heart surgery is now battling to cope with her brutal rape at the hands of a teen. Cops say they have taken a teen into custody over the sex attack on the brave little girl. For two years, the frail little girl called a hospital ward home after she suffered heart failure. Surgeons performed numerous and dramatic operations on her young heart to repair damaged valves. She was learning how to live with her fragile heart.

Now barely three years later she has another battle to fight after a total stranger allegedly dragged her from a family function in Witsands, Atlantis, before raping her.

Pointing to the scars on her daughter’s chest - a reminder of the operations - the mother says her daughter was in Red Cross Children’s Hospital for two years.

And that doctors warned her daughter not to exert herself in anyway because of her condition.

“She was at the hospital from 2007 to 2009,” explains the mother.

“Those scars are because they had to repair the valves and pipes transporting blood - she had heart failure.

“The doctors said she must not put strain on her body or work herself up and now this has happened.”

The mother says her family were hosting a cultural feast at their home when the child was approached by the teen.

“I didn’t know him and I never saw him before, although he lives in the area,” she says.

“He came and he said he loves my daughter.

“I thought that was very strange because he was older and didn’t even know my daughter.”

She says no one noticed when the 16-year-old took her from the party.

“He took her away without my permission,” says the angry mom. The girl says the boy dragged her to a house next door where he kept her for hours.

“He covered my mouth and forced himself on top of me,” she says.

“He said if I tell anyone, he is going to kill me.”

The mom says the girl returned shaken after 2am.

“I immediately called the police and the boy was arrested,” she says.

“I want that boy to rot in jail.”

She says she now fears for her daughter’s health.

“Now when my daughter remembers [the attack] and what happened, her eyes roll back in her head.”

Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk confirms that the teenager has been arrested.

Daily Voice