Cape Town - In a touching revelation 17 years after a tragic attack that nearly claimed her life, Kaylin Nichols has bravely decided to share her story with the world.
At just 10 years old, Nichols was brutally raped and beaten with a hammer before being left for dead while she lay naked in a pool of her own blood.
She said she decided to speak out after her husband encouraged her to write a book about her experience.
But before doing so, she wants to complete a mission that extends beyond her personal narrative.
“I want to inspire other young girls to hold their heads high and not give up, it really isn’t the end of the world.”
The mother of two takes a deep breath as she takes a walk back to that dreadful day:
“May 25, 2006”, Nichols recalls. “It was ascension day.
“I can see myself in my grandparents’ house, then I hear a knock at the door.
“We were a house shop so I went to check. This guy then pushed me into my grandma’s room and put a dishcloth in my mouth, he raped me.
“Then he took me into the bathroom and tried drowning me. I acted as if I was dead, and he carried me back to my granny’s room where he took out a hammer and knocked me over my head…I passed out.”
Nichols said the next thing she remembers is waking up, sitting on a rock.
“This place was white all around, then I heard a voice and in front of me was a very bright light, the voice told me it wasn’t my time yet, I needed to go back to granny, then I woke up in hospital.
“Only now do I realise that that voice was God…”
Nichols said as the years went by, doctors told her that she would never be able to have babies because of the extent of her injuries.
“I went on with my life, but it wasn’t easy. I dropped out of school, because I couldn’t focus and because the injuries were visible, everyone was asking what happened and am I that girl who was raped?”
She said at 17 years old she conceived her son and four years later had a baby girl.
“This is where again God showed me that He is real, because doctors were wrong. “I still cry when I see stories of young girls that get raped. I know their trauma and how they feel, but I want them to know that if I could make it, they can too.
“I want my story to inspire them.” Nichols also sent a special message to Dawn Rhoode, who helped her get through her ordeal.
“Dawn Rhoode worked at Kuils River police station as a victim support officer. I am looking for her because I want her to know she is the reason why I never gave up. Thank you, Dawn.”
And to her perpetrator Nichols said: “I want you to know that you didn’t break me. I found strength in vulnerability, and I will use it to inspire other girls too.”
Nichols’s grandmother, Rachel Wright, said when she walked into her home and found her granddaughter laying in a pool of her own blood, she thought she had lost her forever.
“But Kaylin, man, she is so strong, she went through the worst pain but now she is a living, breathing, walking testimony. God has very big plans for Kaylin and today she is the happiest person I know, I am proud of the person she became.”
Police spokesperson, FC van Wyk, said a suspect was arrested, but the case was withdrawn in court based on a lack of evidence.
“However, as new information arises, the docket will be re-allocated to detectives to pursue new information and to expend investigation,” Van Wyk said.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za
Cape Argus