Man in court for raping girl (12)

The accused made his second appearance in the Benoni Magistrates Court and tThe case has been postponed to February 5.

The accused will be detained in Modderbee Prison, as no bail application has been made.

Police arrested the suspect on January 23, soon after they had arrested another man, who was linked to the same crime.

The first suspect was released, as there was no evidence tying him to the case.

The mother of the 12-year-old victim, who cannot be named to protect her daughter’s identity, told the City Times that the girl was raped in her home, on January 6.

She was at home with her two siblings (boys aged eight and 10), when a man approached the yard, wearing a cap and shirt with an Ekurhuleni logo.

The man told her he worked with RDP applications.

“My daughter held the dogs and told the guy he must come inside the house,” she said.

The girl’s father said the suspect told his 10-year-old son to go to the shops, to speak to other Ekurhuleni officials.

His eight-year-old brother was told to undress and was put in the closet.

The accused tied the young girl’s hands behind her back and raped her.

The victim has undergone two counselling sessions at iThemba Rape and Trauma Centre.

“We are tired of the rape cases, especially those involving young children; it is very sad,” said iThemba’s public relations officer, Rose Maja.

“We will make sure we address every rape case that comes to iThemba, because we want to make sure people are aware that we are not happy with rape cases.”

It is unclear at this stage whether or not the accused is a bogus Ekurhuleni official.