Is Limpopo SA’s rape capital?

The thing the vast majority of women victims of violence have in common are that their attackers were not strangers but people they know such as intimate partners, family members, friends and acquaintances, says the writer. File photo

The thing the vast majority of women victims of violence have in common are that their attackers were not strangers but people they know such as intimate partners, family members, friends and acquaintances, says the writer. File photo

Published Dec 21, 2013

Share

Johannesburg - A total of 82 people accused of rape have been arrested in Limpopo in the past three weeks, police said on Saturday.

The rape-accused were caught during the 16 Days of Activism campaign that begun on November 25, said Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi.

“A further 11 suspects were also detained for child neglect with the youngest victim being a six-month-old baby,” Mulaudzi said.

Police were still searching for 42 more people accused of rape.

Limpopo provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Fannie Masemola said the arrests were a clear indication that police were making the province safer for children and women.

“I have instructed that all family violence, child protection and sexual offences units and all investigating officers dealing with rape cases to be unsympathetic when dealing with rapists,” Masemola said in a statement.

Masemola warned potential rapists that the police would ensure that maximum sentence was imposed.

Women and parents were urged to remain vigilant during the festive season.

Sapa

Related Topics: