Girl (10) allegedly raped outside Tzaneen
The MEC for Social Development, Nkakareng Rakgoale has condemned the rape of a girl (10) who is mentally ill and receiving care at a disability centre in Lephepane outside Tzaneen.
The MEC for Social Development, Nkakareng Rakgoale has condemned the rape of a girl (10) who is mentally ill and receiving care at a disability centre in Lephepane outside Tzaneen.
The centre is an NPO funded by the department.
“It is alleged that the girl was raped by two men and other two minors on different occasions. The incident came to light after a family member of the victim approached one of our social workers who immediately referred the matter to the police,” Witness Tiva spokesperson said.
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“What worries me most is that this incident comes to light at a time where the country is commemorating disability rights awareness month. I would like to take this opportunity once again and urge members of the public to be on high alert and speak out whenever they witness incidents of gender based violence in their localities”, said Rakgoale.
“Our Social Workers have already started providing psycho-social services to the victim, other users of the disability center and also to the affected families. The Department has also deployed a team to start a departmental investigation aimed at establishing facts around the circumstances under which the sexual abuse happened. We also want to check if the environment at the center is still suitable for taking care of the vulnerable people of our society. We hope that the police will double their efforts in investigating the matter and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.”
