Girl's 3 rapes inhumane, says ANC
2012-06-18 14:49
Polokwane - The rape of a 5-year-old Limpopo girl was troubling and "inhumane", the provincial African National Congress said on Monday.
"Children have a right to play and grow in a nurturing and secure environment. No one... has the right to violate the rights of other persons in this, nor any other manner," Limpopo ANC spokesperson Makonde Mathivha said.
"We cannot continue to have these kinds of inhumane crimes being committed against children and women and any other victims of such violent, gruesome acts that strip victims of their dignity."
A man appeared in the Mankweng Magistrate's Court on Friday after allegedly raping the girl last week, said Limpopo police spokesperson Constable Moses Molepo.
Third rape
This was the third time the Grade R pupil had been raped in Mmamatsha village, in the Ga-Molepo area, since 2010, he said.
The first rape case, in December that year, was provisionally withdrawn, pending DNA results and a social worker's report, Molepo said.
The girl was allegedly raped again last month. In this case, a 28-year-old man was arrested.
Two of the crimes happened while she was walking to school.
The one in 2010 was committed after she was left in the care of her 13-year-old aunt while her parents attended a funeral.
Mathivha said an investigation needed to be done on the case which had been withdrawn.
"The ANC Limpopo wishes to urge all community members, especially citizens directly concerned with childcare... to work closely together with local authorities to ensure that we all put a stop to violations against all children," he said.
- SAPA
