A 14-year-old girl, who was reported missing on 8 July in Diepsloot, was found raped and stabbed to death this week.
The Diepsloot area has been experiencing a high number of rape cases, but according to a statement made by the National Children and Violence Trust, the issue has escalated to where young girls are now being murdered.
“The trust has been working in the Diepsloot community for the past 22 years offering trauma counselling to victims of violence and trauma. Women have been falling victim to rape and domestic violence. We feel that it is time we stand together and hold hands to fight the scourge of violence against women and children,” they said in a statement.
“Numerous cases of women getting raped have been reported but not much has been getting done to protect them or to fight for their rights. We need to stand together and speak against the scourge of gender-based violence.”
Members of the trust visited the grieving family today, 13 July, to offer condolences and support to the family and Diepsloot community.
Meanwhile, another unidentified body has been found in the vicinity. Police are currently investigating.
Fourways Review journalist, Masego Seemela, experienced some difficulty accessing the scene and acquiring further information. A community member stepped forward to share her view on this. A translation is provided below.
Translation: “Why are they refusing you to see the dead body? Three days ago, there was a girl who was found near the scene where this [other] body is. They should agree to you going closer to the body so that you can tell our story as the people of Diepsloot. We don’t have protection in this area. We’ve got young girls and we can’t sleep at night as we hang on to them like this.”
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#HaveYourSay: How have you been affected by crime in the area?
