Rapes of minors, elderly spike in Letlhakane

Lindiwe Mozola | Thursday October 27, 2016 14:11

The toddler was allegedly raped by a 21-year-old neighbour who is now in police custory while a 20-year-old male sexually abused the octogenarian. Letlhakane police station commander, Michael Maphephu said the victim’s mother reported that she had left her daughter with a neighbour whom she thought she trusted since the two families usually helped each other whenever one of them had to go somewhere.

However, this time around the neighbour had evil intentions as he allegedly dragged the girl to his room and raped her. “Fortunately, we managed to arrest him and he has since made his first appearance in court charged with rape,” Maphephu said. He revealed that police were also investigating a case in which a man in his 20s raped an 85-year-old grandmother on October 22. The culprit broke into the old woman‘s house and attacked her physically before raping her. “Rapes involving vulnerable persons in our area are on the rise and in most cases they involve minor children and grandmothers.

“This is very sad because most of the victims are confused not knowing what to do or how to seek help and hence some of the cases go unreported,” he said.

He warned that parents should desist from leaving their children with strangers or third parties, but rather make sure that it is somebody that they completely trust and someone of the same sex as the child.  “The world has changed.

We are living with beasts in out midst. If a close relative can take advantage of a young girl, what more of a neighbour?” Maphephu wondered.