Pupil raped in school toilet
2005-11-19 13:14
Johannesburg - A 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the rape of an eight-year-old girl at a school in Pietermaritzburg, the Natal Witness reported on Saturday.
It quoted spokesperson Inspector Joey Jeevan as saying a man had raped the girl in the school toilets on Tuesday.
The girl told her mother about the incident on Tuesday after she was fetched from school.
The Family Violence, Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Unit made the arrest on Thursday.
"It is believed that the suspect is employed as a general labourer at the school," said Jeevan.
He will appear in court on Monday.
The school's principal said a report had been sent to the regional offices of the education department.
Education spokesperson Christi Naude said: "We are horrified about the incident and will give the police our full co-operation to deal with the perpetrator."
In July, a 13-year-old girl at another school in the KwaZulu-Natal capital was allegedly raped in that school's toilet.
Security and access to schools was further called into question when a four-year-old girl was allegedly raped in the toilets of her pre-primary school in Pietermaritzburg a month later.
A charge of rape was subsequently withdrawn against the 27-year-old suspect, whose daughter also attended the school.
- SAPA