Man fleeing with minor charged with defilement
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Tuesday April 25, 2023 06:00
Tonota Police Station commander, Superintendent Oteng Ngada said the suspect was found with the teenage girl days after they went into hiding. He told The Monitor that the man was arrested and charged with defilement whereas the teenage girl was taken back to her parents’ house.
The girl is still a minor hence the police engaged the social worker’s office on the matter and investigations are still at a preliminary stage, added Ngada. The Tonota station commander further said the man was later released on the same day but will be taken to task after investigations are completed in which a 15-year-old girl fled with her alleged boyfriend, 23.
The 15-year-old is a student at Rutang Junior Secondary School and is currently on school holiday. Before she fled her parents’ home, it is alleged that the parents had approached the 23-year-old man and found their daughter with him. The parents had gone straight to the 23-year-old's place, found their daughter, and took her back home.
It was reported that the parents went to visit the 23-year-old man and warned him to stay away from their daughter, Ngada added. It was after this incident that the young girl packed all her belongings and fled with the man. On the day she fled her parents’ home, a neighbour called out to the girl’s parents after they witnessed her jumping over their home fence. She had allegedly packed her bags and fled with the 23-year-old man without informing anyone of her whereabouts.