A 35-year-old man will appear before the Mahwelereng Magistrate’s Court in Mokopane, Limpopo, today on a charge of raping a minor after he handed himself over to police on Sunday.

According to the Limpopo police, the incident took place on August 7 in the Masodi informal settlement in Mozumbani under the Mahwelereng policing area.

Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba says the victim was walking home alone when she was called by the suspect who reportedly said he wanted to send her to a local shop.

The victim agreed because the suspect is known to her, but she ended up being dragged into his house.

“The suspect is said to have locked the door and raped the victim without her consent before giving her money to keep her silent. When the victim arrived at home, she reported the ordeal to her older sister who is mentally challenged. When the sister could not take the matter further or report it, she told her mother who reported it to the police,” his statement reads.

The victim’s mother was informed about the ordeal on August 10 and police commenced with a search for the man.

“The suspect evaded arrest and hid in Lephalale, however, he handed himself over to the police accompanied by a relative on Sunday,” Ledwaba says.

The provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, welcomed the arrest of the suspect and says he should face the consequences of ‘his senseless deeds for taking advantage of a minor he was expected to protect’.