Suspect accused of raping 92-year-old wheelchair-bound woman to appear in court

A 47-year-old man accused of raping a 92-year-old woman is expected to appear in the Lenyenye Magistrate in Limpopo on Wednesday.

The alleged rapist was handcuffed at Hoveni village in Maake policing area outside Tzaneen on Monday.

Rape of 92-year-old woman

It is understood the elderly wheelchair-bound woman was asleep in her house when she was accosted by the suspect in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Police spokesperson Motlafelo Mojapelo said the man forcefully entered the house through the window and raped the elderly woman before fleeing the scene.

“The matter was reported to the Police later on the same day after the victim’s granddaughter went to check on her and made the shocking discovery. A case of rape was opened and Police immediately commenced with investigations.”

Stern warning from police

The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has sent a stern warning against the perpetrators of gender-based violence following this shocking incident.

“The arrest of the suspect should send a clear message to those who victimise vulnerable individuals, especially women and children, that they will be hunted down and brought to book.

“It is upon everyone to protect our elders to avoid such disturbing incidents from happening,”

Motlafelo said police investigation into the incident continues.

Murder and rape on the rise

Meanwhile, the quarterly crime statistics released by Police Minister Bheki Cele last week confirmed what we’ve known all along – South Africa is a hornet’s nest of murder, rape and other violent crimes.

The first three months of 2022 have been marred with shocking levels of rape, assault and murder. When compared to the previous quarter, murder increased by 22.2% and attempted murder by 24.8%.

Rape increased by 13.7%, attempted sexual offences soared by 26.3%, and carjacking went from 4,513 during the same period in 2021, to 5,402 between January and March this year.

Additional reporting by Cheryl Kahla

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