A TODDLER was raped in Sterkstroom in the Chris Hani municipality last week after reportedly wandering into a neighbour’s home.
This follows news of a six-weekold baby from Kimberly in the Northern Cape fighting for her life in intensive care after she was raped, allegedly by a relative, on Wednesday.
As the country launches its national campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence and Child Abuse this week, reports such as these suggest child rape and abuse show no sign of slowing down.
In Sterkstroom’s Old Location township the victim, 23 months old, was left in the care of her grandmother while her mother went shopping.
The mother suspected her daughter had been vaginally penetrated when she undressed her to bathe her later that evening, which was last Monday.
Queenstown police spokeswoman Lieutenant Phumzile Makaula said the community was shocked.
She said a case of rape had been opened, and detectives were still searching for suspects.
Eastern Cape Social
Development and Special Programmes spokesman Gcobani Maswana said the perpetrators in both cases had no place in society.
“We don’t need such people in our society and justice needs to be harsh on such people,” he said.
While in her grandmother’s care, the toddler allegedly walked into the neighbour’s yard.
Later she was returned home by a 33-year-old man.
“According to her parents, she often goes to the neighbour’s home and returns later.”
Makaula said the mother noticed something wrong with the child and realised she had been vaginally penetrated.
The child was taken to hospital where she was checked by medical staff and later sent home with her parents.
Yesterday the 33-year-old neighbour was taken in for questioning by police.
“This we can confirm but it doesn’t mean the person has been arrested. Police took him for questioning and DNA samples were taken from him to assist police in their investigations.
No one has been arrested; we are still searching for the suspect,” said Makaula.
Maswana said their department had sent social workers to the family of the Sterkstroom victim to give counselling.
In the Kimberley case, the baby was snatched from her home. The grandmother heard the baby crying from a shack in the yard behind the house.
When she opened the door, she noticed her 24-year-old son zipping up his trousers before trying to escape.
He was caught and charged with rape. —
Toddler raped in Sterkstroom
This follows news of a six-weekold baby from Kimberly in the Northern Cape fighting for her life in intensive care after she was raped, allegedly by a relative, on Wednesday.
As the country launches its national campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence and Child Abuse this week, reports such as these suggest child rape and abuse show no sign of slowing down.
In Sterkstroom’s Old Location township the victim, 23 months old, was left in the care of her grandmother while her mother went shopping.
The mother suspected her daughter had been vaginally penetrated when she undressed her to bathe her later that evening, which was last Monday.
Queenstown police spokeswoman Lieutenant Phumzile Makaula said the community was shocked.
She said a case of rape had been opened, and detectives were still searching for suspects.
Eastern Cape Social
Development and Special Programmes spokesman Gcobani Maswana said the perpetrators in both cases had no place in society.
“We don’t need such people in our society and justice needs to be harsh on such people,” he said.
While in her grandmother’s care, the toddler allegedly walked into the neighbour’s yard.
Later she was returned home by a 33-year-old man.
“According to her parents, she often goes to the neighbour’s home and returns later.”
Makaula said the mother noticed something wrong with the child and realised she had been vaginally penetrated.
The child was taken to hospital where she was checked by medical staff and later sent home with her parents.
Yesterday the 33-year-old neighbour was taken in for questioning by police.
“This we can confirm but it doesn’t mean the person has been arrested. Police took him for questioning and DNA samples were taken from him to assist police in their investigations.
No one has been arrested; we are still searching for the suspect,” said Makaula.
Maswana said their department had sent social workers to the family of the Sterkstroom victim to give counselling.
In the Kimberley case, the baby was snatched from her home. The grandmother heard the baby crying from a shack in the yard behind the house.
When she opened the door, she noticed her 24-year-old son zipping up his trousers before trying to escape.
He was caught and charged with rape. —
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