80-year-old North West man in court for rape of girlfriend’s grandchild

An 80-year-old man appeared before Brits Magistrate’s Court on Monday for the alleged rape of a seven-year-old girl.

The man was apprehended on Saturday at around 3pm in the Geluk farming area on the outskirts of Brits.

According to police spokesperson Captain Sam Tselanyane, it is alleged that the suspect went to a nearby shop accompanied by the victim, who is the grandchild of his girlfriend, on Saturday.

“The mother of the child went looking for them as she felt that they are taking too long to return home. She saw that they were on their way home and close by, [so] she then went back inside the house,” Tselanyane said.

“While inside the house, she decided to go and check on them again as they were taking longer than expected to enter the house. The suspect and the child were nowhere to be found. She allegedly searched and found both of them under a tree in the bushes, with the child allegedly half-naked.”

The mother reportedly screamed for community members to come to her rescue and the police were alerted.

“The suspect was immediately arrested and charged with rape. He was remanded in custody and is expected to reappear before the same court on 25 February 2020 for a formal bail application.”

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