Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, the provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, has called on the Tzaneen family violence, child protection, and sexual offences unit to use every resource available to them in order to capture a suspect in the horrifying rape of a toddler who is one year and seven months old.
The early hours of July 5 saw the rape take place in Lusaka village, Ritavi policing area, Mopani district.
According to a preliminary report, a 44-year-old woman from Lusaka village had gone to sleep with her daughter and her niece, who is the victim.
The sound of a garage door closing woke the woman; then she heard the baby wailing.
When she went to investigate, she found the child lying in the passage and took her to bed, where she found out the baby had been raped.
After the victim was taken to a nearby hospital for a medical examination, medical staff verified that the child had been raped.
The suspect is described as a male African who is still at large.
Community urged to work with police
A rape case has been opened at the Ritavi police station and transferred to the Tzaneen family violence, child protection, and sexual offences unit for a specialised investigation.
Hadebe stated: “This abhorrent act against an innocent infant is not only a crime against the child and her family but against our entire society.
“The brutality of this incident shocks the conscience and demands our immediate and unwavering response.
“I have tasked our investigators to thoroughly investigate and bring the perpetrator of this heinous crime to justice.
“Our family violence, child protection, and sexual offences unit specialists are working around the clock to ensure that whoever is responsible for this despicable act faces the full might of the law.”
Hadebe urged the people of Lusaka village and the surrounding areas to help the police apprehend this criminal.
