In a revealing HBO documentary that will debut on Tuesday, four different women accuse 1970s South African doubles standout Bob Hewitt of sexually abusing them when they were still early teenagers or younger.
“Every dog has his day and this is his, this is his truth,” alleged victim Twiggy Tolken told HBO’s Mary Carillo. “He’s still going to rot in hell but for now he’s here on earth and people are going to know how sick he is.”
Tolken alleges that Hewitt forced her to try and perform oral sex on him when she was 12 and also attempted to have sexual intercourse with her.
South African Sue Ellen Sheehan alleges that Hewitt had sex with her in back of car at 11 and then wanted her to play tennis after.
“The one on one sessions were a half hour or 45 minutes of avoiding his hands,” she said. “It was horrible.”
Amercian Heather Crowe Conner, who took lessons from Hewitt in the Boston area, has claimed she was coerced into having sex with him when she turned 15.
“I think one of first questions he asked me was ‘Did you ever make love to someone?’ and then he spelled it out and said intercourse,” she said.
Fellow South African player Ray Moore, who is now one of the tournament directors for the Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells and played Davis Cup with Hewitt, said he suspected what was going on.
“Bob would go to lessons with young girls and not take along his tennis equipment and take along a jar of Vaseline,” Moore said. ‘But we didn’t know the extent of it.”
Moore said he warned South African tennis officials of what was happening but was told nothing could be done until someone oppressed charges.
Eventually, Tolken’s family went to the police and she says Hewitt was charged, but her family was asked to reconsider because taking on a national icon could cause her more trouble than it would him, so they dropped the charges.
Tolken also said that her father told everyone in the South African Tennis Federation about it, but no one stood up for her.
Amanda Weinhold, who trained under Hewitt in the 1990s, said that she nearly attempted suicide as a result of the abuse.
“No one stood up and said that this man should not be coaching tennis and I don’t know why,” Weinhold asked.
Moore, who broke down in tears during the interview, says he should have done more.
Sheehan said as a result of the abuse she suffered under Hewitt, even today she is still destroying her relationships and that it’s “killing her.”
The statute of limitations for criminal charges has run out on the now 71-year-old Hewitt, who lives in South Africa and refused interview requests by HBO.
However, in Massachusetts there is a currently movement to repeal the statute of limitations for sexual abuse crimes committed against children.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame has an appointed a committee to investigate whether they should kick Hewitt out the institution.
There are said to be civil suits pending against Hewitt in South Africa.