Their worry follows the recent cases in which two teenage girls were discovered pregnant by their parents after falling sick. Mahalapye Central Police Station commander, Superintendent Meshack Ranku revealed that since the start of the new year they have already recorded four cases of rape and three for defilement in their jurisdiction. He said it is worrisome that despite their efforts to curb these cases, the crimes continue to spiral out of control. As a result, Ranku asked men being the perpetrators to respect women and stop violating them. “This calls for change in behaviour amongst men who are usually the perpetrators of both rape and defilement. Men should know that ‘no means no’ and stay away from girls,” he said. “They should allow them to mature into women before they can propose love to them.
Efforts have been made in sensitising the public about these issues, but it is of great concern that these cases continue to spiral out of control.” According to the police chief, rapists here continue to rouse women from their sleep and violate them. “Some men will spend the night with women at entertainment places and when they retire to bed they would sneak, follow, and pounce on them in an attack and rape them. To show that men don't respect women there are instances in which a man will meet a woman on the way and decide to rape her,” he said. Addressing defilement, Ranku said in most of the cases teenage girls are defiled by older men, not their age mates. He added that this continues to happen despite men knowing very well that being in a romantic relationship with someone below the age of 18 is against the law. He said they have been holding kgotla meetings, and conducting community outreach programmes targeting men the cases continue to spiral out of control. “We are currently investigating a case in which a 16-year-old girl of Tshikinyega ward, Mahalapye was discovered pregnant at the hospital after falling sick.
She had reported to her parents that she wasn't feeling well and was taken to Mahalapye District Hospital where she was discovered pregnant after being subjected to tests. “The suspect on this matter hasn't been arrested, but he is a known person and we have launched investigations to locate and arrest him,” he said. Ranku said they are also investigating a similar case in which a 17-year-old girl of Xhosa 1 ward, Mahalapye, was recently discovered pregnant after falling sick. “Like in the previous case, the victim was sick and her parents took her to the clinic where tests were carried out and she was discovered pregnant. We are currently looking for the suspect who is known by the victim,” he said.
