Man, 57, arrested for allegedly raping one-year-old in Cape Town

A 57-year-old man has been arrested in the Western Cape for allegedly raping a one-year-old baby in Mitchells Plain on Friday, police have said.

A case of rape was opened by police after it was reported.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana said initially two suspects were taken into custody while the investigation unfolded.

Upon further investigation, one of the suspects who had been apprehended was released as it was discovered that he was not linked to the crime, said Rwexana.

In videos doing the rounds on social media, angry residents could be seen crowding around the house after news spread that a baby had been raped.

Voice of the Cape Radio reported: “The child’s mother discovered blood on the child’s nappy and immediately lodged a case with the police.”

The man will appear at the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a rape charge.

Last month, News24 reported that an eight-month-old baby had been raped in Bontheuwel, Cape Town.

The baby’s mother is understood to have dropped her off with a carer so that she could go to work. When she returned home, she noticed something was wrong while changing her nappy.

She took her child to Red Cross Children’s Hospital, where she was initially treated.

The child was later transferred to another hospital for DNA testing.

The baby was discharged early in July, News24 previously reported.

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