Parents of 8-year-old rape victim lose faith in police

THE angry mother of an eight-year-old girl who was raped at Moroke in Burgersfort last year wants the Limpopo police commissioner, Lt Genl Fanie Masemola, to interfere in the case as she says the Mecklenburg police do not want to explain to the family why the suspect was set free.

The mother told CV that, on the night of the incident, the 26-year-old suspect gained entry to the house by breaking a window and raped her daughter.

She said he left his belt when he fled.

“I woke up when my daughter started screaming and the man fled through the window.

“We know the suspect and he has been threatening my daughter since the day we opened a case.

“The police arrested him and he spent a week behind bars before he was released,” she said.

“It traumatises my daughter when she sees him.

“She does not perform well in school due to this problem. My daughter was taken to a psychologist for counselling.

“The police investigator at the Mecklenburg police station has not informed us of anything since last year.

“We just heard that the docket was lost and that is why the suspect was released,” said the mother.

The girl’s father said they had lost hope in the police as it seemed they were protecting the suspect.

“There is no progress in the case,” he said.

Spokesperson for the Mecklenburg police, Const Elias Setati, said the case was in court on June 5 and was postponed to September for further investigations.

He said the victim’s mother should visit the station and report the matter to the station commander if the investigator is undermining her.