Man in court for alleged rape of eight-year-old

TONGA – Despite the government’s efforts to root out gender-based violence, women and children are still being targeted.

A 40-year-old male recently appeared in the Tonga Magistrate’s Court for allegedly raping an eight-year-old.

According to the victim’s mother, they were visiting relatives who stayed at Block B (Engwenyeni).

A friend of the family asked the young girl to accompany him to his friend’s place.

When it became late and the minor did not return, her mother and aunt decided to look for them at the suspect’s place, only to find that they were not there.

“On their way back home they saw the man behind a toilet on top of the young girl. They pulled the suspect off the child and the little girl told them that on the way back, the suspect raped her behind the toilet of a nearby house,” Tonga Police Station spokesman, Lt Mzwandile Nyambi told Corridor Gazette.

The matter was reported to the local SAPS and a case was opened. The man was taken into custody and the victim was taken to the hospital for treatment and counselling. During the suspect’s court hearing he was denied bail, and another bail application was set for the end of April, but at time of going to press, no further information was available.

Tonga Police Station commander,

Brig Velisiwe Mdaka, urged parents to look after their children and keep them safe.