Cape Town - A four-month-old baby and her seven-year-old brother were raped in Ceres at the weekend, Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Arno Lamoer said on Monday.
He said the baby had been sleeping in bed with her parents when a man snatched and raped her in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Her brother was in the house and was also raped.
Lamoer said it was believed that the man had been staying in the house – on a farm – at the time.
“The child is currently at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital, where she had reconstructive surgery, and she will stay there for a long time,” Lamoer told reporters at a police memorial service in Kuils River.
“As you can see, there is a sick society outside. Some men can’t take the responsibility and we need to make sure this person is arrested.”
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Andre Traut said the matter was being investigated and police would do everything in their power to arrest the suspect.
“Combating crimes against women and children is very important and we will do our best to apprehend the perpetrator.”
Traut said the incident happened in Ceres between midnight and 3am on Saturday.
Red Cross Children’s Hospital spokeswoman Lauren O’Connor-May said: “(The little girl) was admitted early on Saturday morning and underwent different surgeries, she has been in the theatre twice already.”
O’Connor-May could not provide details of the surgeries on Monday night and also had no details on the whereabouts of the seven-year-old boy.
“I am still trying to find out where her brother was taken, I have been calling some of my colleagues in Ceres but have not heard anything yet. He was not admitted to Red Cross.”
Police said the perpetrator fled the scene and have urged that anyone with information about the rapes should contact Crime Stop on 086 001 0111.
The incident comes as the provincial Department of Justice and Constitutional Development kicked off Woman’s Month by visiting some of the Western Cape areas with the highest number of reported domestic violence cases.
In different parts of the province, experts from the different departments will address residents on matters relating to domestic violence, sexual offenses, maintenance, Equality Court services and service delivery issues.
Hishaam Mohamed, head of the provincial Justice Department said their programme would run until September 7.
“The programme focused on women and other vulnerable groups located in this area, where gender-based violence and other services remains a challenge.”
This week the department will visit Khayelitsha and Delft while areas like Nyanga, George, Mitchells Plain, Atlantis and Stellenbosch would be visited over the next four weeks.
“During this period people will be informed of what the state has to offer in terms of maintenance, domestic violence and children’s rights, which have all undergone drastic changes in the past few years.”
The department decided to kick off the programme in Oudshoorn at the weekend, which has one of the highest prevalence of domestic violence in the province, where they addressed about 300 women and children.
Cape Argus