‘Dad made me his wife when I was 6 – and then gave me a DIY abortion after he raped me’

One brave woman has revealed how her father raped her, performed a DIY abortion on her, and even shot her in the chest

dad-bride

by Kayleigh Dray |
Published on

Judy van Niekerk, 46, told the Central Criminal Court in Dublin that her father turned her into his "dutiful wife" when her mother left home.

She was just 6-years-old at the time.

Judy explained: “I should have been going to school. But he didn’t let me. He said, ‘you have too much to do here.’"

“I was only a kid when he started to sexually assault and rape me"

She was forced to stay home and perform back-breaking housework, as well as look after her younger brothers and sisters.

And, while she was always incredibly tired after the day's work, her father made her stay up until he was ready for bed - when he would then sexually assault her.

She told Press Association: “I was only a kid when he started to sexually assault and rape me.

"I was in such pain afterwards. He left me feeling confused and totally worthless."

She fell pregnant and suffered a miscarriage, but the abuse did not stop - when she was just 14-years-old, her father shot her in the chest.

“He told me I was evil and wasn’t worthy of his love,” she said. “He said he had sacrificed having a life himself, to save me.

“He told me, ‘If you don’t change I’m going to have to kill you’ [and] he got angry and shot me in the chest.”

Via Press Association

Luckily she survived - and doctors were told she had shot herself.

Some time later, Judy fell pregnant for a second time; whilst she wanted to keep the baby, her father refused and took steps to stop the pregnancy himself.

Desperate to prevent anyone from learning what he'd done, he punched his daughter in the stomach, made her take scolding hot baths, and, finally, carried out a home abortion using a coat hanger.”

Judy had another abortion at a clinic later on.

“Later I apologised to dad for getting pregnant,” she said. “I felt it was my fault. I was brainwashed.”

“I had realised if I didn’t make a run for it or I might not get another chance,” she said.

After a time she headed to South Africa and met a man called Tiny, now 46, who encouraged her to contact the police.

“After he died I was sad. He was still my dad"

In October 2000, Walsh, then 55, appeared at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

He admitted three charges of rape and two of indecent exposure.

The court heard they were five sample charges from 30 in all.

But, while she gave evidence against her father in court - which saw him sentenced to 15 years in prison - Judy still found it in her heart to forgive him when she was told he had terminal lung cancer.

She said: "I told him, ‘I love you’ and he said it back.

“After he died I was sad. He was still my dad.

“I was pleased I’d got to see him one last time. I had complete love and compassion for him. But finally I was at peace.”

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