Mpumalanga men arrested for alleged rape of family members
The accused in these two cases have been remanded in custody and await their formal bail applications.
Two suspects are expected to appear in the Bushbuckridge Magistrate’s Court and Middelburg Magistrate’s Court respectively for allegedly raping their own family members.
One of the cases occurred in Bushbuckridge, where it is alleged that a 27-year-old man raped his niece, aged 14.
According to the information from a provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, the grandmother of the girl said she had received a call from the school her granddaughter attends on Friday September 16, informing her that the girl did not feel well and was rushed to the clinic. The victim was later referred to hospital, where she was examined by a doctor who confirmed she was pregnant.
“It was then they found out the girl had allegedly been raped on several counts between June and August this year by her uncle, who resides with them. It is said the uncle would sneak into her bedroom, rape her and threaten her not to tell anyone about the several ordeals,” Mdhluli said.
The police managed to trace the uncle and made the arrest on Saturday September 17. He appeared in the Bushbuckridge Magistrate’s Court on charges of rape on Monday September 19. His case was postponed to Monday September 26 for a formal bail application.
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Meanwhile, a similar case was reported in Mhluzi, Middelburg. A 63-year-old man allegedly raped his 18-year-old granddaughter on several occasions between September 2015 and September 2022.
“It is alleged that the suspect would threaten the victim not to tell anyone, including her mother, of the atrocities she was going through. Eventually, the young girl finally broke the silence. The matter was reported to the police and the suspect was arrested and charged accordingly,” Mdhluli said.
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The accused appeared in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday and the case was postponed to Tuesday September 27 for a formal bail application.
Both accused have been remanded in custody.
