LIMPOPO – The provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, expressed profound shock over a distressing rape case after a five-year-old girl was sexually assaulted, allegedly by her teen brother (13) at their family home in Mundzedzi village, Bandelierkop.

According to the Limpopo police, the incident allegedly occurred on Sunday afternoon (November 9).

“The young victim disclosed to a parent that her older brother had called her into a room where the alleged assault took place. Medical personnel at a local hospital later confirmed that the child had been sexually assaulted,” the Limpopo police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba said.

A case of rape was opened at the Bandelierkop Police Station and has been transferred to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in Makhado for further investigation.

Ledwaba said the teen boy remains in the care of his parents pending an assessment by a probation officer in accordance with the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008.

“It is deeply troubling that we continue to witness such alleged heinous acts involving children, particularly within family settings,” Hadebe said.

She urged parents and guardians to be vigilant in monitoring their children’s behaviour and their exposure to media, emphasizing the need to create safe environments for children to report uncomfortable situations without fear.