The scourge of rape in North West has reached unacceptable levels, premier Thandi Modise said on Sunday.
“When the scourge of sexual offences against women reaches infants, toddlers and young girls, every parent who has a child should be worried that the scourge has reached unacceptable levels and proportion,” said Modise.
She was reacting to news that a four-year-old girl was raped in Tlhabane near Rustenburg on Friday.
Police spokesman Sergeant Philani Nkwalase said the girl's mother noticed something wrong with her when she bathed her on Friday afternoon.
“She immediately took her to the doctor and a rape incident was confirmed. The police are investigating a rape case and there is no arrest at this stage,” he said.
Nkwalase said the mother took her daughter to a creche on Friday, and went to fetch her in the afternoon as any other day.
Modise has called for an in-depth investigation that would ensure the speedy arrest of the callous perpetrator of the rape.
She reiterated the call she made recently for the partnership between police, crime prevention structures, churches, faith-based organisations, women organisations, non-government organisations and other civil society organisations to be strengthened to combat the scourge of sexual offences against women and girl children.
She said the spate of rape incidents that was experienced in recent weeks, particularly those involving victims known to perpetrators, pointed to moral decay that needed urgent intervention.
The premier appealed to women not to leave their girl children with strangers, visit taverns and other drinking places at night, walk alone at night, ask for or accept lifts from strangers. - Sapa