KZN mother arrested for allegedly taking R100 hush money from daughter’s rapist

A 53-year-old mother of a girl, 15, who was allegedly trafficked and raped, has been arrested by police in KwaZulu-Natal.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Thembeka Mbele, said the grade nine pupil was allegedly raped by a known suspect and that her mother was allegedly aware of the rape but did not take any action.

Mbele said the mother allegedly accepted R100 from the alleged perpetrator, which she allegedly gave to her daughter “to silence her”.

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“On 1 December 2020, the young girl’s mother had arranged for her to go visit a family friend in Johannesburg. She was informed that the family friend would buy her clothes, a cellphone and gold tooth. When they arrived in Johannesburg she was introduced to some men known to this family friend, one of these men became known to her and he spoke a foreign language.

“This man allegedly raped her the whole night and in the morning he took her back to her relative’s place. At the house she witnessed this man giving her relative some money which she [the relative] then went into the house to count it.

“The victim was luckily rescued by two girls who actually know her from the Matiwaneskop area. They took her back home. When she arrived home she was scared to inform anyone what occurred to her. She later formed the courage to report the incident at Elandslaagte SAPS Police Station and charges of human trafficking and rape were opened for investigation.

“The investigation led to the arrest of  the mother of the victim, 53, who was arrested yesterday [Wednesday] 13 January 2021 at 7pm while at her homestead at Matiwaneskop area, in Ladysmith, and the suspect is set to appear in Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court tomorrow [Friday].”

Story to be updated as more information becomes available

Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu

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