A 40-year-old father and an alleged boyfriend of his daughter are behind bars after they were nabbed by Limpopo police on Tuesday for allegedly raping a 15-year-old minor.

The father is the biological father of the victim, according to police. The alleged boyfriend is 25 years old. 

 Col Moatshe Ngoepe said it is alleged that the father from a village in the Giyani policing area went out to look for his daughter  after she left home on  October 24.

"He  found his daughter at her boyfriend's place and he immediately  took her to the police station to open a case of statutory rape," Ngoepe said.

"The police then informed  a local social worker for further assessment of the victim and  she opened up to the social worker that her father had also raped her on a number of occasions in 2019 and 2020. She was afraid to talk about the alleged rapes because her father apparently  threatened her not to tell anyone. Both suspects were  arrested immediately and will appear in court."

 Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nneke Ledwaba  praised the police for pulling out all stops to arrest the two suspects.

"As we continue to fight against the scourge of gender-based violence, including the sexual offences, it is very disturbing that even those meant to protect their own children are also involved in these crimes," said Ledwaba.

The suspects will appear  in the Giyani magistrate's court on Thursday to face  charges of rape and statutory rape.