Protests after rape of 9-year-old girl

The community of Blybank in Carletonville protested at the magistrates’ court in Oberholzer on Monday 11 January during the first court appearance of a suspect who allegedly raped a 9-year-old girl.

The accused is apparently the landlord of a house in Hornbill Street in Blybank, who works as a security guard.
The community apparently became suspicious after he attempted to lure children on the streets with sweets on Chrismas day and threatened to run them over with his car.
He was arrested on 7 January when the community members confronted him about the allegations.

They also asked the daughter of the woman who lives in the back room of the house whether the man had done anything to her.

The little girl told them that the suspect would often touch her breasts. He had allegedly taken her to the house and raped her on various occasions. He also covered her face with a towel when she cried. After raping her, he would give her R5 or R10 and threatened to hit her if she told her mother or father.
The incidents took place when her parents were not there or before school when he would stop her at the gate and call her to the house.

According to the 29-year-old mother of the Gr. 5 learner, who cannot be identified in order to protect the child, she and her husband were not aware of what was taking place since they started living in the back room in 2014.

A neighbour says her daughter, a friend of the victim, was also nearly raped by the suspect when she was visiting the girl. The suspect had managed to undress her before but had never penetrated her.

The group of women stood outside the court wielding placards with anti-rape messages.

The suspect was denied bail and will appear again in court again on Friday 15 January.