Police in Ladybrand still looking for a suspect in the rape of a 3-year-old

Staff reporter

Bloemfontein – The South African Police Services (SAPS) in Manyatseng, Ladybrand are still searching for a suspect in the rape case of a 3-year-old.

This follows an accident that happened on Friday, 16 June when passersby heard a child crying in the bush on their way from the stream to fetch water at Marikana, an informal settlement around 08h00.

Two-year-old raped in an abandoned house in Marikana

Upon checking the child she was full of blood and crying, they then called the police after discovering she was from Lusaka informal settlement.

A report from Social Development paints a very shocking picture as the family after the mother of XXX only realized around 04h00 that a child she slept with is nowhere to be found.

“She is reported to have come back from work on 16/06/2023. She arrived home around 8 pm. When she got home that time, she is said to have made sleeping arrangements in the living room with the child concerned as they both sleep on the floor.

The other family members are reported to have slept in the bedrooms and the doors were not closed.

According to the family members, it was around 4 am when the concerned mother woke all family members in fear. She reported to them that she woke up and found that the child concerned is not in the blankets next to her. When she looks around, she found the windows and kitchen door open.

She went outside to the backroom shack where she reported to the other family members who were using the backrooms. They found that the child was not around in the house and the yard. She again called the father of the child who was not with them as he is staying on the farm and stated that the child’s consent is not with him. It was at that time that she did not know where to look for the child. Later in the day. They got sms that says the child is found in the area of Marikana and is the victim of rape.

The mother of a child reported a case at the police station on 17/06/2023, and the child was taken to the Hospital and referred to Pelenomi Hospital. The mother informed the family telephonically that the child is coping they will be discharged by Wednesday.”

What’s worse is in the family of 12 no one heard anything, not even a soul. How?

Sources at the police station said, thus far no arrest has been made and samples have been sent for testing.

The living arrangements of this family are unacceptable and this is a challenge to Toto Makume, MEC of Human Settlement, and Mxolisi Dukwana, Free State Premier to build a decent house for this family.

FSPG built a house for another family last year when the ANC launched Letsema and the Premier was the MEC.

Is Letsema another Operation Hlasela?

Leadership please do one thing positive for a change, just one. Build this family a house.

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