A teenager (18) and his mother (35) will appear in the Letsitele Magistrate’s Court today in connection with the rape of his sibling (9) in Lwandlamuni village in the Letsitele policing area in Limpopo.

Polokwane Review reports that, according to Limpopo police, the teenager was remanded in custody on Friday on a charge of rape, before his mother was arrested on Saturday, for failing to report a crime.

Police officers on duty at the N’wa Mitwa satellite police station are said to have been approached by the Lwandlamuni village community, who brought both the victim and the suspect to the station.

“The community informed the police that the victim had disclosed to them that she had been sexually assaulted by her brother on August 8 at their family residence. During the police interview, the victim alleged that her brother called her into the house where the incident occurred,” Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, says.

A case of rape was registered at the Letsitele Police Station and transferred to the Tzaneen Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for further investigation.

The provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, applauded the community for their courage in standing up for the victim and bringing both the child and the suspect to the police station.

“We commend the community for their swift action, resulting in the matter being [reported] to the authorities.

“This demonstrates the important role that communities play in protecting our most vulnerable members, particularly women and children. We encourage all communities to continue speaking out against all forms of violence perpetrated against women and children. We also urge them to support survivors in their quest to seek justice,” Hadebe says.

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