Eastern Cape cop arrested after allegedly raping 8-year-old child

An Eastern Cape police officer has been arrested by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) for allegedly raping an eight-year-old child.

According to IPID, the officer was arrested on Thursday.

“The victim was eight years old when this started and it was brought to the attention of IPID on Monday 17 August 2020,” its spokesperson, Ndileka Cola, said.

“As mandated by the IPID Act Section 28[1][d] to investigate rape by a police officer, whether the police officer is on duty or off duty, IPID investigated this incident.”

She added as the alleged rape was committed two weeks ago, it was receiving the highest priority and was allocated to a principal investigator who, after completing the investigation, recommended the officer should be arrested.

The officer is set to appear in the Uitenhage Magistrate’s Court on Friday on a charge of statutory rape.

“This office condemns with the strongest possible terms gender-based violence and femicide, especially by officials entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing the laws of the land,” Cola said.

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