Cape Town - An alleged child rapist from Delft was assaulted by an angry mob on Monday after an 11-year-old girl was attacked.
Residents say police failed to arrest the 32-year-old man for an entire day after the case was reported and he was subsequently assaulted in the street and a tyre placed around his neck.
The girl’s mother, 31, says her child was further traumatised when a male officer came to take her statement.
“They sent a man to ask her what happened and she was scared of him,” the angry mom says.
“He traumatised her further. We are very shocked and want justice for our child. She missed her exams because she is traumatised. She is not sleeping and she wants nobody to hold her.”
The mom says the girl spent Saturday night by her aunt who lives with her boyfriend in Lena Street.
“She was sleeping and there was a fight in the road. Her aunty got up and went to see what was going on when he [suspect] got into the bed with her.
“He is the aunty’s boyfriend’s brother and my daughter told us he got in the bed... He held her tight and she said it went on for long. When he was finished, she got up and went to tell the people in front,” she says.
The girl’s family says they got a fright when they heard the news and rushed to the house, which is one block away from their home.
On arrival, they found the little girl bleeding and in pain and took her to Delft Police Station.
The mother says cops transported them to Karl Bremer Hospital where it was confirmed the child was raped.
Residents say the girl identified her alleged attacker and the community searched for him.
Community worker, Monique Phillips, says several police vans were in the road on Monday night and they told police where to find the suspect, but officers allegedly failed to act.
“We asked for help after we were given a lead on where he was. They blatantly refused,” says Phillips.
“People found him and moered him. SAPS failed us.”
Police spokesperson,
Captain FC van Wyk,
confirms the suspect went on the run before he was caught by residents.
“The investigating officer visited his address on Sunday at approximately 7.30pm and was informed by the suspect’s mother that he is on the run,” Van Wyk says.
“On Monday, the suspect was apprehended by members of the community in Delft and was badly assaulted. The suspect sustained head injuries and was taken to Tygerberg Hospital for medical treatment.”