A Dundee woman who alleges she was raped by a former teacher when she was 14 says repeated postponements have left her waiting more than four years for closure.
Laamiya Khan, now 19, who alleged she was raped by Werner Botha, a former teacher at Dundee High School, reported the matter to police on the same day.
However, despite numerous court postponements and false starts, the case remains unresolved, with Botha still out on bail.
As she approached her 20th birthday, Khan is speaking out about her experience, determined to use her voice to encourage other survivors to seek help and demand accountability.
“I remember how heavy those first few hours were. One moment I was a normal Grade 9 pupil, the next I was having to find the words to tell an adult what had happened to me.
“I was shaking, I was scared, but I knew I could not keep it inside,” she said.
Although she was terrified, Khan said she drew strength from her family, who believed her from the outset and took her to report the matter to police that same day.
“I was terrified when I had to tell someone, but I knew silence would not keep me safe. I had an amazing group of friends that held my hand along the way.
“I decided to report the matter because I could not bear the thought of it happening to someone else. It broke me beyond words, and God gave me strength that day to make the powerful decision to report it,” she said.
While her family stood firmly behind her, Khan said the reactions of some people in the wider community were difficult to navigate.
Some offered support, while others remained silent, leaving her feeling isolated at a time when she needed reassurance.
“At 14, when you have just reported the most traumatic thing of your life, that silence from your community is very painful,” she said.
Khan believes the adults and institutions around her should have recognised that she was still a child who needed protection, understanding and support rather than suspicion or silence.
“At the time I wished the other adults around me, the school, community and justice system understood my trauma. They failed to recognise I was just a 14-year-old child.
“I wish those other adults had understood that I did not need suspicion, silence, or endless waiting. I needed them to be as supportive as my family was at the time.”
She said she wanted those responsible to reassure her that she had done the right thing by reporting the alleged assault and that steps would be taken to protect her.
Despite reporting the matter immediately, Khan said she soon discovered the justice system was a lengthy and confusing process for a child dealing with trauma.
“I reported it immediately, I did everything right. I went to the police on the same day. As a 14-year-old, you would think that because you reported immediately, justice would also be immediate. It was not,” she said.
She described having to recount her experience to different officials, wait months for court dates and repeatedly prepare herself emotionally, only for proceedings to be postponed.
Khan said the reasons given for postponements included the accused’s lawyer being unavailable, documents not being provided and court equipment being broken.
“Every postponement takes an emotional toll. You spend weeks mentally preparing yourself to be brave, to face the court, to retell what happened. Your family prepares with you. And then in a few minutes you are told to go home and come back in three months. You have to put your pain back in a box again,” she said.
The prolonged wait, she added, has left her feeling as though her life has been put on hold while she attempts to move forward.
“It feels like I have been stuck in the same place for four and a half years while my life has had to move forward. I was 14 years old when this happened, in Grade 9.
“I am now about to turn 20. Those were supposed to have been my formative teenage years including high school, matric, my first job and the start of realising my dreams. Instead, a big part of that time has been defined by waiting for court dates and waiting for closure.”
Khan said the impact of the trauma extended beyond the courtroom. She was unable to finish school after struggling to cope with what had happened and found it difficult to reintegrate into her education.
Despite these setbacks, she dreams of reclaiming the opportunities she lost, pursuing her ambitions and building a future that was not defined by the court case.
“When I was 14, I thought justice was simple - that the person who hurt me would be held accountable. Now, at almost 20, my understanding of justice is much deeper,” she said.
“Justice is also about being heard, believed and treated with dignity. Justice is about the system taking responsibility to handle these cases in a professional, timely and trauma-informed way so that children are not re-traumatised.”
For Khan, justice would also mean finally being able to close a painful chapter of her life and move forward as a young woman with her own aspirations.
She has also expressed frustration with what she describes as the repeated promises made during Women’s Month, arguing that speeches and public campaigns mean little to survivors who continue to struggle for justice and support throughout the rest of the year.
“I have lived this case for four and a half years, through four Women’s Months. Each year, I hear leaders say they stand with survivors, but then I go back to court and my case is postponed again. Platitudes do not keep a 14-year-old safe in her classroom. They do not speed up a case. They do not provide counselling,” she said.
“We do not need more pretty words in August. We need action every month.”
Khan is calling on the government and the criminal justice system to prioritise the needs of survivors by addressing court delays, ensuring that sexual offences courts and Thuthuzela Care Centres are adequately staffed, and providing long-term trauma counselling.
She also wants leaders to consult survivors about their experiences of the justice system, rather than engaging with them only during public campaigns or events.
Among the changes she believes are urgently needed are limits on postponements in sexual offences cases involving children, specialised training for police officers, prosecutors and magistrates, and clear communication with survivors and their families about the progress of cases.
She said survivors should not be left in the dark about why proceedings are delayed or what steps are being taken to resolve their cases.
“Right now it feels like it depends on luck, which town you are in, which prosecutor you get, whether the docket arrives,” she said, calling for a more standardised and professional approach to handling sexual offences cases.
Khan also believes schools have a critical responsibility to protect pupils and respond appropriately when abuse is reported.
She said every school should have a clear and safe reporting process, with trusted adults available to support pupils.
When a child discloses abuse, the school should act immediately to protect the pupils while the allegations are investigated, rather than prioritising its reputation, she said.
“Schools should also teach pupils about their rights, consent and abuse in an age-appropriate manner, while ensuring teachers are properly vetted and regularly trained.” Khan added.
“I was in Grade 9. I needed my school to say: we believe you, you are safe here, we will walk with your family. Every school should have a plan for that, before a case happens, not after,” she said.
Although Khan admitted that the lengthy process had left her exhausted at times, she continues to draw strength from her family, her determination to help other survivors and her desire to reclaim her future.
“I do not always feel strong. There are days when I am very tired. For four and a half years this case has followed me from Grade 9 to almost 20 years old,” she said.
She said knowing that speaking out could make it easier for another survivor to come forward helps her persevere, even when the process feels overwhelming.
Her message to other survivors is that they should not blame themselves for what happened to them and should seek support from someone they trust when they feel ready.
“I believe you, and it is not your fault. Whatever you are feeling — fear, confusion, shame — that shame does not belong to you. You do not have to do everything at once. You do not have to be brave in the way adults want you to be brave,” she said.
Khan encouraged survivors to speak to a trusted family member, teacher, counsellor or another person who can help them access support, stressing that they should not have to carry their experiences alone.
As she continues to wait for the case to progress, Khan wants people to see her as more than the allegations she has made and the trauma she has endured.
“I want people to remember that I am more than what happened to me. Yes, I was a 14-year-old girl who was violated by someone in a position of trust. That is part of my story, but it is not all of who I am,” she said.
“I do not want to be remembered only as a victim. I want to be remembered as a survivor who tried to make the system better for the next girl. And beyond the case, I just want to be remembered as Laamiya, a young woman with dreams beyond this trial.”