Man arrested after teen raped on way to school

People don’t want to understand when I push for scholar transport

A girl of 14 was abducted and raped while walking to school on Friday.

A man, 27, allegedly kidnapped the teen in Mpozolo Forest in Willowvale at around 6.25am.

Her two friends managed to escape and alerted adults. A man was arrested and is expected to appear at the Willowvale magistrate’s court on Monday on a charge of rape, said Butterworth police spokesperson Captain Jackson Manatha.

Khula children’s rights organisation’s Petros Majola said if the girl had been a scholar transport beneficiary, as she should have been, this would not have happened.

“Sometimes people don’t want to understand when I push for scholar transport,” said Majola.

“Let me tell you once again – I am trying to ensure that children are safe when travelling to and from school as opposed to being exposed to such incidents. This happened on the gravel road that joins Willowvale and Elliotdale.”

He Majola said he would visit the girl’s family, local authorities, the police and the de- partment of social development.

“The arrest was effected through the assistance of the community. It is alleged that the victim and two other children were on their way to school on Friday at 6.25am when the suspect appeared from Mpozolo Forest in Mpozolo village in Willowvale,” he said.

Manatha said it is alleged that the man chased the other two children away, a boy and a girl, before raping the teen.

“Willowvale police with the assistance of the community worked around the clock to trace and arrest him. He was arrested on Saturday at Mpozolo village,” he said.

Butterworth cluster commander, Brigadier Ngangema Xakavu praised and thanked the Mpozolo village community for their assistance in apprehending the suspect.

Xakavu condemned violence against women and children and vowed to arrest all perpetrators.