Mom wishes girl's rapist was killed

The mother of a seven-year-old grade R pupil who was repeatedly raped and left for dead in the bush wants the man behind the crime to be locked up forever.

The 32-year-old mother from Sekhukhune district in Limpopo told Sowetan she wants a 34-year-old relative arrested for the gruesome rape of her daughter not to return to the community.

"I wish the community members who captured him should have killed him because he has destroyed my daughter's future.

"He repeatedly raped her and left her in the bush the whole night thinking that she was dead.

"He confessed and led members of the community to where he raped and left her. My daughter was found lying unconscious at about 2am on Monday," she said.

She said on Sunday, her daughter left for a nearby tuck shop with her nine-year-old sister.

"I was at work when I got a call at 4pm that my daughter was missing and immediately rushed home. We then launched a frantic search and spread the word in the village.

"People started coming out with information that they saw my daughter with the relative," she said.

The relative lives nearby.

"I'm still shocked that someone who has a wife and daughters, worse a relative, can do something unthinkable to my child.

"As I'm talking to you she can hardly sleep and she is visibly traumatised," she said.

Police spokesperson Col Moatshe Ngoepe said the suspect had not appeared in court as yet because he was still in hospital due to injuries he sustained when the community attacked him.