A KASI family was left devastated when their eight-year-old daughter was raped in 2019.
The suspect, a neighbour, was arrested and they believed justice would prevail but he is now a free man!
The rape took place in Soshanguve block GG, Tshwane, in November 2019 while the girl was attending a party with her family at another neighbour’s house.
The girl’s aunt said just after it got dark, they realised she was nowhere to be found. Her friends told them a man took her to the shops.
“We searched for her for hours until we saw her walking with a man towards us.
“The community ran towards them and the man fled,” she said.
The aunt said the girl started crying and said she had been raped. The police later took her to a clinic and arrested the suspect.
The aunt said when the suspect went to court, he kept changing his story.
The aunt said after a few court appearances earlier in 2020, the case just went cold.
The girl’s father said the last time he went to court was for the suspect’s bail hearing, but it was not heard that day.
“We thought it was because of Covid-19. We have never received any communication from the police. I was shocked to see the suspect at a local pub in December. I called the investigating officer and he said they released him because they were waiting for some test results,” said the father.
The girl, who is now 11, told Daily Sun she felt betrayed by the police.
“I don’t feel safe anymore. I don’t trust anyone,” she said.
Police spokesman Captain Mavela Masondo said the case was temporarily withdrawn for further investigation. “An internal investigation will be conducted to find out why the complainant was not informed.”
