Parents of a 4-year old girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by a 16-year-old in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, last weekend have to face the teen daily as he lives nearby.
The mother of the child said the incident left the family paranoid over the girl’s safety and they have kept her inside the house since then.
“My daughter usually plays with a little girl who lives with the teenage boy. On August 7, she went to the house to play with her friend. She later came back and told me what ‘uncle’ had done to her.
“I was shocked and immediately called her father. He came over and we called the police. We also confronted the alleged perpetrator who confessed to having assaulted the child,” the mother said.
The father said the child was taken for medical examination at the a local hospital and they were now awaiting results.
“We see the perpetrator every day and have to restrain ourselves from taking the law into our own hands. My heart is still sore.
“My daughter called the young man uncle because that's how her friend referred to him. I keep thinking of how this incident will affect my daughter in the long run,” he said.
Police said the case was still under investigation.
Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut said the matter was discussed with the regional state prosecutor, and they were still waiting for a date for the first assessment.
No arrest had been made as yet, he said.
The incident came after the news of the rape of a 6-year-old girl on August 2 at a school in Soshanguve, Pretoria, allegedly by a general worker.
Child rights group Molo Songololo said sexual abuse of children was rife.
The non-governmental organisation’s director Patric Solomons said children were vulnerable and at risk of being targeted and sexually abused by people, some of whom they were familiar with.
“Children are at high risk and easy targets. Most of the perpetrators are known to them and in the community. It’s most unfortunate that these incidents are happening more frequently and go undetected or unreported,” said Solomons.
He said one of the reasons why sexual violence involving children was on the increase was due to the fact that it was now normalised.
“Boys from a young age are exposed to sexual images but not monitored,” he added.
Solomons said, however, they could legally be held accountable for sexual violations if there was enough evidence.
According to stats by the South African Police Service, there were 24 387 sexual offences against children in the country during the 2018/19 financial year.
Weekend Argus