Tebogo Monama
Tebogo Monama
Women's organisations have lambasted police over the amount of time they take to arrest the man who escaped from police custody after raping a six-year-old girl.
Paul Mofokeng, 26, escaped from the Protea magistrates' court after kidnapping and repeatedly raping the child in Soweto in August.
Delphine Serumaga, director of People Opposed to Women Abuse (Powa), said: "This is one of the many stories that we receive in terms of noncompliance of police in dealing with women who experience abuse."
She said that police say the they find it difficult to solve such cases because of staff shortages and inadequate resources.
"They cannot claim that they cannot refer the girl to organisations like ours.
"We do not deal with little girls, but we can easily find a place of safety for her," Serumaga said.
When Mofokeng escaped, police said that they would send the child to a place of safety, but they did not and the mother had to send her to an aunt.
Police spokesman Sergeant Sanku Tsunke said police and social workers have stopped looking for a safe place.
"We decided that the girl is better off living with relatives.
"She is not well and needs to take medication. Who will take care of her at a place of safety?" Tsunke said.
Serumaga said that Powa only had the cooperation of a few police stations.
Tsunke said police are confident that they will catch Mofokeng soon.
"We are following all the information we get from the public. The net is closing up on him," Tsunke said.
The girl was due for an operation at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital. But she was turned away twice.
Hospital spokesman Hester van den Heever said:
"She was not operated on due to medical reasons and an operation now may do more harm than good."
Cops must move - Powa
Tebogo Monama
Tebogo Monama
Women's organisations have lambasted police over the amount of time they take to arrest the man who escaped from police custody after raping a six-year-old girl.
Paul Mofokeng, 26, escaped from the Protea magistrates' court after kidnapping and repeatedly raping the child in Soweto in August.
Delphine Serumaga, director of People Opposed to Women Abuse (Powa), said: "This is one of the many stories that we receive in terms of noncompliance of police in dealing with women who experience abuse."
She said that police say the they find it difficult to solve such cases because of staff shortages and inadequate resources.
"They cannot claim that they cannot refer the girl to organisations like ours.
"We do not deal with little girls, but we can easily find a place of safety for her," Serumaga said.
When Mofokeng escaped, police said that they would send the child to a place of safety, but they did not and the mother had to send her to an aunt.
Police spokesman Sergeant Sanku Tsunke said police and social workers have stopped looking for a safe place.
"We decided that the girl is better off living with relatives.
"She is not well and needs to take medication. Who will take care of her at a place of safety?" Tsunke said.
Serumaga said that Powa only had the cooperation of a few police stations.
Tsunke said police are confident that they will catch Mofokeng soon.
"We are following all the information we get from the public. The net is closing up on him," Tsunke said.
The girl was due for an operation at the Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital. But she was turned away twice.
Hospital spokesman Hester van den Heever said:
"She was not operated on due to medical reasons and an operation now may do more harm than good."
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