NELSPRUIT – Two rape suspects are expected to appear in court after allegedly raping their own family members. One of the rape cases is said to have occurred at Bushbuckridge whereby a 27-year-old man is alleged to have raped his niece aged 14 and the girl is currently pregnant. Meanwhile a similar case of rape is said to have occurred at Mhluzi whereby a 63-year-old man is alleged to have raped his 18-year-old grand daughter.

The two separate rape cases were assigned to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) to investigate.

According to the information on the case at Bushbuckridge, the grandmother of the victim (14) alleges that on Friday, 16 September 2022 she received a call from the school where her granddaughter attends, informing her that the girl was rushed to the clinic as she was not feeling well. The victim was later referred to hospital where she was examined by the Doctor who confirmed her pregnancy.

It was then learned that the girl was allegedly raped on several occasions between June and August 2022 by her own uncle who resides with them. It is said that the uncle would sneak into her bedroom and rape her then threaten her not to tell anyone about the ordeal.

The matter was reported to the police and a case of rape was opened. The suspect (27) was traced and arrested on Saturday, 17 September 2022. He is expected to appear at the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court on charges of rape.

Meanwhile another girl from Mhluzi, aged 18 also went through similar experience as she too was allegedly raped by her 63-year-old grand father on several occasions between September 2015 and September 2022. It is alleged that the suspect would threaten the victim not to tell anyone including her mother of the atrocities she was going through.

Eventually the young girl finally broke her silence and the matter was reported to the police and the suspect was arrested as well as charged accordingly. He too is expected to appear at the Bushbuckridge Magistrate’s Court on charges of rape.

The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has strongly condemned the atrocities that the two young girls had to endure and painfully so because these were allegedly caused by their own flesh and blood. The General also commended members of the police for arresting the perpetrators soon after the cases were registered.

Source: South African Police Service