Angry residents of Reiger Park reportedly marched to the Ward 34 councillor’s house on Monday and demanded answers as to why the 34-year-old man who was arrested for allegedly raping a two-year-old toddler was released.
On Monday, a big crowd of community members filled the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court’s public gallery where the man was expected to appear, and they waited almost the entire day.
It’s, however, understood that the case against the suspect was not placed on the court roll, apparently due to lack of evidence – and the suspect was then released.
Such decision drove community members mad, prompting a march to the councillor’s residence.
The ward councillor, Charlie Crawford, confirmed the march, saying he was not home but shocked to receive a report from his son that the community was demanding answers for a National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and SAPS related matter.
The councillor said he thinks the marchers were barking up the wrong tree in this matter. But nevertheless, his son addressed the community and suggested that they, for proper explanation, approached the relevant departments, being the SAPS and the NPA.
“I’m not a lawyer, an advocate or a court official, and I can’t interfere with the SAPS and the NPA’s work,” said Crawford.
“But, as a concerned community leader, I have set up an appointment with the chief prosecutor and another representative of the NPA just to try and get their explanation for why the suspect was released.
The suspect, a boyfriend of the child’s mother, allegedly raped the child while the mother was at work on Tuesday.
The child’s strange behaviour prompted the mother to take her little daughter to hospital for medical attention on the following day. And that’s when a doctor discovered that the toddler had been sexually assaulted.
The SAPS’ Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS), registered a case of rape and later arrested the suspect.
