Yesterday at the Paarl Regional Court, the long-awaited trial of Achmat Alexander, accused of allegedly drugging and raping then 19-year-old Leighché (Leigh) Thomas, finally began. Alexander is allegedly known as the Paarl Photographer Rapist.
Action Society has walked this journey with Leigh and her family for more than three years, after police investigations initially stalled. Leigh, now 22, showed immense bravery as she took the stand as the first state witness.
In gripping testimony, Leigh recounted how she was contacted by Alexander — allegedly a well-known photographer in Paarl — and invited to a supposed photoshoot. She told the court that he instructed her to bring three outfits, before allegedly pressuring her into travelling with him to a more isolated location.
She described how Alexander allegedly stopped to buy alcohol along the way, telling her it would help her feel “more comfortable” during the shoot. Leigh said she reluctantly drank half a glass of tequila and cranberry juice prepared by him.
At the second photoshoot location, she testified, Alexander allegedly took her phone, ordered her into the back seat of the car, and raped her while she repeatedly said no. Afterwards, he allegedly continued the photoshoot as if nothing had happened, moving between locations and even stopping at a petrol station before dropping her off with the chilling instruction: “say nothing, because nothing happened.”
Leigh told the court she felt lost, out of place and terrified. She confided first in her best friend, before disclosing the ordeal to her father four days later. Together, they reported the alleged crime to the police and Leigh was examined at hospital.
The case has been postponed and will continue today.
“Leigh’s courage in reliving her trauma on the stand is nothing short of extraordinary,” said Kaylynn Palm, Head of Action Society’s Action Centre in the Western Cape. “We have stood by her since her family first called on us for help, and we will continue to fight for justice alongside her. This is not only her fight, but the fight of every survivor who has been failed by a broken system and silenced by fear or shame. Justice must prevail.”
Action Society continues to call for urgent reform in how cases of sexual violence are handled in South Africa, ensuring that survivors are not revictimised by endless delays and weak prosecutions.
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