A 39-year-old was remanded in custody when he appeared before the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court on charges of raping his friend’s nine-year-old daughter.
The rape-accused man, whose identity is withheld to protect the minor victim, was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on Thursday.
Colonel Adéle Myburgh, North West police spokesperson said the Rustenburg family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) unit was investigating the case after an incident which happened on Sunday, April 7.
“It is alleged that the mother, father, a nine-year-old daughter and their 39-year-old friend drove to Freedom Park to attend a meeting,” she said.
“After the meeting they (the parents) left their child, who is a person with disability, in the car with their friend and went to a nearby tuck-shop to buy food for the child,” said Myburgh.
“On their return, they found their daughter lying on the back seat, with their friend allegedly busy raping her. The father removed him from the child, whilst the mother screamed for help.”
Community members intervened and rushed to grabbed the alleged rapist.
The 39-year-old man, who was later rescued by the victim’s father from the marauding crowd, was handed over to the police in Phokeng.
He was subsequently arrested before making the court appearance.
Meanwhile, provincial police commissioner in North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena has welcomed the arrest of the alleged rapist, adding that, “he will face the full might of the law”.
In February, a 54-year-old Limpopo man was convicted and sentenced for raping his mentally disabled 31-year-old stepdaughter.
The rape ordeal happened in January 2019 at Pulaneng village, under the Maake policing area.
The rapist, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the abused woman, was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment by the Naphuno Magistrate’s Court in February.
At the time, Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, said the rape happened after the victim’s mother left her at home in the company of the stepfather.
The mother had gone to Maake Plaza for some shopping.
IOL