'Rapist' caught in the act

20 May 2019 - 10:04
By Peter Ramothwala
A 19-year-old Limpopo man is expected to appear in the local magistrate's court for kidnapping and repeatedly raping two young girls
Image: 123RF/Artit Oubkaew A 19-year-old Limpopo man is expected to appear in the local magistrate's court for kidnapping and repeatedly raping two young girls

A 19-year-old Limpopo man is expected to appear in the local magistrate's court for kidnapping and repeatedly raping two young girls.

Police spokesperson Col Moatshe Ngoepe said the girls, aged 12 and 13, were kidnapped from May 16 to May 17 at Tambo RDP new stands outside Groblersdal in the Elias Motsoaledi local municipality.

"It is alleged that on May 16 at about 7pm, the suspect met the two victims and lured them to an RDP house in this section and locked them inside.

"He then bought them food and started to rape them one by one until one of the victims managed to escape and ran home where she informed her parents about the ordeal.

"The other victim was left behind with the suspect," he said.

Ngoepe said the following day, the victim's parents, accompanied by a group of community members, went with her to the house.

"On arrival, they found the suspect busy raping the other victim.

"The suspect ran away but the community gave chase until they caught him and handed him to Dennilton police," Ngoepe said.

Following the disappearance of the girls last week and two other separate cases of missing girls, community members shut down foreign-owned shops and looted some of them.

Bolsheviks Youth Organisation acting secretary-general Hamilton Bolotini condemned the kidnapping.

"We strongly condemn such deeds, which are evil. We call on law enforcement agencies to see to it that the perpetrator is given a sentence he deserves and we call on the youth of Dennilton and surrounding areas to support the victims when the suspect appears in court," he said.

Bolotini said such acts should be stopped by any means possible as it could lead to community members taking the law into their own hands.

He said there had been three cases of missing girls in the area.

Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nneke Ledwaba condemned the ongoing act of sexual offences perpetrated against children, which are prevalent in some parts of the province. 

"Members of the community, especially parents, are still advised and encouraged to strengthen child safety at all times to prevent or avoid this type of incident from occurring," said Ledwaba.

The suspect will appear in the Dennilton magistrate's court today.