SKHILA – A local 10-year-old girl was raped last week. The victim went to town with her 16-year-old sister to buy electricity at a filling station.
According to the victim, who cannot be named, she followed three women when the suspect approached her, pretending to walk with them in the same direction.
“A man approached me along the way and identified himself as ‘Thabang’. He started asking me questions about school and my friends. I answered him but then realised I was falling behind the women I were following.
I told him that I had to hurry as the women were leaving me behind. He grabbed my hand very tightly and forced me into the bushes next to Estralita School.”
According to the victim the suspect asked her to undress but when she refused he forcefully undressed and raped her. It appears that the neighbour informed the girl’s parents about the incident whereafter they rushed to the scene and found the victim as well as the police.
She was admitted to Lydenburg Hospital where doctors confirmed she had been raped. She was transferred to Rob Ferreira hospital the following day.
“This is very painful to us. How can a matured man do such a horrible thing to a child? We are very angry and if we found that man it will be a diffstory”, the victim’s mother said.
The suspect was identified through pictures and arrested at the taxi rank. He will appear in the Lydenburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
The father of the victim thanked the Lydenburg SAPS and the doctors for their good work. The local SAPS communications officer, Cpt. Mabokalake Mashabela, didn’t want to comment on the case but stated it would be forwarded to the provincial office for investigation. According to the family a rape case had been opened.
