Rape and killing of girls worry MEC

GAUTENG MEC for Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane has expressed concern at the number of children that are raped in the province.

Nkosi-Malobane said this following the rape and murder of a nine-yearold girl and the rape and attempted murder of a 13-year-old girl. Police received a complaint that there were screaming children in Sebokeng and when they arrived, they discovered that the house was full of blood with about three knives lying on the floor.

There was also a naked 13-year-old girl who had been raped and stabbed several times. They also discovered the body of a nine-year-old with multiple stab wounds. A 22-year-old man was arrested and the 13-year-old girl taken to a Sebokeng hospital.

Nkosi-Malobane said: “The continuous rape and killing of young girls have reached unprecedented levels. It is very important that the community and law enforcement agencies... protect our children.”

The recent murder and rape is one in a string of sexual abuse cases that includes the alleged gang rape of a high school learner at Fons Luminis High School in Soweto by her classmates.

In another case, two Boksburg boys were also arrested for the rape of a 13-year-old girl. The 2017/2018 crime statistics showed that 16 922 children were assaulted, an average of 282 cases a day, and 738 women and 704 children were raped.