Alleged rapist of 11-year-old girl remanded in custody
The 11-yearold girl gave birth more than a week ago.
Image: File
A 32-year-old man, accused of raping and impregnating an 11-year-old girl, appeared briefly in the Atlantis Magistrate’s Court on Monday to face charges of rape.
The man, believed to be the boyfriend of the child's mother, was arrested following the issuance of a police warrant.
This comes after it emerged that an 11-year-old girl had given birth over a week ago, allegedly as a result of sexual abuse.
The child’s mother has since been arrested and appeared in the Atlantis Magistrate’s Court in connection with failure to report a commission of a sexual offence.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed her court appearance.
The child or her mother cannot be identified because the girl is still a minor, and to avoid secondary trauma.
The mother has been remanded in custody and is expected to apply for bail today(tues), while the boyfriend's case has been postponed to May 26 for a formal bail application.
DA MP and NCOP Member on Security and Justice, Nicholas Gotsell, said he will be opposing the release of the alleged rapist.
“Child rapists must be removed from society. The DA is appalled by the rape of an 11-year-old girl who has recently given birth. Whilst we will allow the law to take its course, the DA will exert even more pressure on the Acting Minister of Police to provide answers to its letter dated May 17, expressing its concern about the Western Cape Provincial Police Commissioner’s disregard for the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF),” Gotsell said.
He further told IOL he found it extremely alarming that, once visiting Atlantis, there were no rape kits for children.
“During several oversight visits on Thursday and Friday and again today [Monday] to the Atlantis police station, the DA found barely any D1 (adult) rape kits and no D7 rape kits for children. This has raised the question of resourcing of SAPS FCS units, who work with the most vulnerable persons in these societies, over the past weeks,” he said.
“Accordingly, the DA has requested the details of every rape and sexual assault case reported at these stations and will keep an eye on the investigation of every single one of them and where it appears that SAPS members were not able to collect evidence from victims to build a proper case, which would ensure convictions and clean up this scourge of GBV plaguing our society,” Gotsell said.
He said police play a crucial role in the collection of evidence and the conviction of rapists.
“The inaction by SAPS senior management in the Western Cape indicates that the President’s promise of GBV being declared a national state of disaster was a lie,” Gotsell said.