Child rape suspect hand himself over to police
It is alleged that the 40-year-old neighbour handed himself to the police following a heated confrontation with the victim’s father.
A Mamelodi man handed himself over to the police on Monday afternoon, after allegedly raping an 11-year-old deaf girl earlier in the year.
It was alleged that the 40-year-old neighbour handed himself to the police following a heated confrontation with the victim’s father.
The suspect from Mamelodi East is known to the victim’s family as he lives only three houses away from them.
He reportedly raped the girl on January 8, after grabbing her while she was playing with her friends in the street.
According to the victim’s parents, she was a grade 4 learner who while struggling with her speech, was able to communicate.
The father of the minor said the justice system must set an example with the suspect.
“We know the man and trusted him since our daughter was friends with his daughter and played together almost every day,” he told Record.
The father said they started noticing unusual behaviour from their daughter as she started isolating herself from everyone and always stayed in the bedroom sleeping all day.
“We thought she was coming down to some sort of cold as everyone in the house was complaining about it, but we further noticed that she was not walking properly,” said the father.
Her mother and cousin talked to the daughter and she allegedly told them that the man had raped her.
She reportedly told her mother that he took her inside his house where he locked her in the bedroom and slapped her before raping her.
The mother said her daughter could not scream for help as she was struggling with her speech.
Her daughter said she escaped when the suspect’s daughter came into the house looking for her.
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The family immediately took the child to a hospital. After she was examined, it was allegedly found that the child was raped. The family was advised to open a case at the nearest police station.
When the suspect was confronted by the father, he denied the allegations made against him.
However, after the confrontation, the suspect went to the police station where he handed himself over and was arrested and charged with rape.
The girl’s mother was also at the station at the time accompanied by her cousin, busy opening a case.
Police spokesperson Constable Lethabo Mashiloane confirmed the incident.
“The suspect will soon appear before the Mamelodi magistrate’s court,” said Mashiloane.
Community members said the suspect made the right decision by handing himself to the police station because they were going to “deal with him” before handing him over to the police.
They said it was best for the suspect to remain in police custody and not bother applying for bail, “because we will deal with him so that everyone can move on with their lives”.
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