Six in court for baby's rape

2001-10-29 19:02

Kimberley - Six Upington men, aged between 24 and 66, appeared in the Kimberley Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of raping and indecently assaulting a nine-month-old baby in Louisvale at the weekend, Northern Cape police said.

The nine-month-old baby underwent surgery on Saturday and was still in a serious condition in hospital on Monday.

Captain Cherelle Ehlers said the case was postponed to November 5 for further investigation and the men would remain in police custody.

Piet van Rooi, 39; Jan Mienies, 45; John Radebi, 24; Frans Mosterd, 28; Jan van Wyk, 66 and Job Freeman, 32, were arrested on Friday night after the child's grandmother found the girl covered in blood.

The baby's mother went out to buy food and left the baby in someone else's care.

Ehlers said police were still awaiting the results of forensic tests conducted over the weekend.

"Northern Cape provincial commissioner, Commissioner Wally McKaiser expressed his shock and discontent with the horrifying circumstances under which the baby was found and issued a stern warning to the community that the police in the Northern Cape will vigorously hunt the perpetrators of such crimes to bring them to book," she said.

Meanwhile, the Coalition for Children's Rights called on government to take the issue of child abuse and child rape seriously.

Founder of the organisation Nicole Barlow said in a statement: "We are revolted by the current case of child abuse.

"The gang-rape of a nine-month-old baby has left us and I'm sure, most child protection agencies, in a total state of shock.

"Our agency will make the full spectrum of all its resources available to the police and family of the baby. We are also currently setting up a Children's Legal Resource Centre in order to offer assistance in cases such as these.

"I thought I could no longer be shocked, but I have been moved to tears over the pain and suffering this baby must have endured at the hands of these monsters," said Barlow, who has lobbied for children's rights for eight years.

"We need to concentrate more of our resources on the care and protection of children in the country and I feel strongly that government has been let off the hook too often when matters such as this arise," she said.

- SAPA