Johannesburg - Cases and convictions of teen rape are on the rise. On Sunday, SAPS reported that a 28-year-old woman in the Free State had been arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old boy.
According to a police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring, it was alleged that on September 1, at about 12:30, the teenage boy was playing in the street when the woman called him to her house.
“On his arrival, she undressed and allegedly raped him and gave him some cash. He related the incident to her mother, who immediately reported the matter to the police. He was taken for a medical examination. On Friday, September 8, the woman was arrested and detained,” said Mophiring.
The woman appeared in Tseki Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Still in the Free State, an 18-year-old man was arrested near Reitz following an alleged rape of a minor, aged 12 at the time.
SAPS said it was alleged that in June, a mother became suspicious of her daughter, thinking she might be pregnant. Her suspicions were correct.
“She couldn’t report the incident immediately to the police, as she thought that could unsettle her daughter’s health conditions. Her daughter confirmed that she had slept with the suspect, even though she couldn’t remember the exact date. The suspect was traced on September 9 and arrested by local police,” read the SAPS statement.
The suspect also appeared before the Reitz Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Last week, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) sentenced Simao Hlongwane, 43, to life imprisonment for raping his 12-year-old niece. The court further ordered his name to be registered in the National Register of Sexual Offenders.
Hlongwane is also a preacher at a Christian church.
NPA North West regional spokesperson Henry Mamothame said it emerged that the complainant and her mother, who is the sister of the accused, were residing in Mothotlung, a short distance from where the accused stays.
“It was further revealed that on January 17, 2017, the accused sent the complaint to his other stand to clean a shack. He subsequently followed her and raped her in the shack. The complainant went to report the matter to her 15-year-old sister, who then conveyed the message to the mother. The mother, however, failed to report the matter to the police.
“Evidence led in court revealed that on January 23, 2021, the complainant, who was 15 years of age at the time, in fear of being raped again, went to the police to report the matter after the accused had continued to touch her inappropriately over some time. The police subsequently summoned the mother to assist the child in opening the case. The mother was described as being hesitant and unsupportive of the daughter’s actions, as the accused was their primary source of financial support,” said Mamothame.
In KwaZulu-Natal, another sentencing took place last week.
A man, 41, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a girl in the Osizweni area in April 2018. The girl was aged 12 at the time.
While a 40-year-old man was also given life imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to raping his 17-year-old biological daughter.
According to the NPA, the father started raping his daughter from May 2022 until January this year.
The Star