Durban - An 11-year-old boy is one of more than 200 suspects arrested for incidents of rape and sexual assault in KwaZulu-Natal during the month of June.
On Thursday, police revealed operations last month netted 217 suspects in various districts around the province.
Provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Thembeka Mbele, said on May 25, the 11-year-old was arrested after a six-year-old boy was allegedly raped in Section 3 in Madadeni, in Newcastle.
"Police arrested three boys, aged between 11 and 13. They have appeared in the Madadeni Child Justice Court on June 11. They were then released into their parents’ care because they are minors," Mbele said.
She said a case of rape was opened at the Madadeni police station and later assigned to the Newcastle FCS for further investigation. Mbele said the youngsters will appear in court at a later date, as per the social worker's report.
Mbele said detectives based at SAPS Family Violence and Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Units across the province secured two terms of life imprisonment and a total of 15 years behind bars for suspects last month.
"Police are working tirelessly to solve criminal acts directed at women and children," she said.
Mbele said last month police arrested 217 suspects between the ages of 11 and 80.
"Five of those cases have been finalised in different regional courts in the province and two terms of life imprisonment and a total of 15 years were meted out to the accused. The investigating officers are continuing to bring all perpetrators to book," she said.
Mbele urged the community to report all sexual offences and not allow perpertrators to intimidate them.