Strangled pupil: Soshanguve reeling in shock at gruesome find

Yet another murder and alleged rape of a teenage girl – the second this year in the area – has left the community of Soshanguve, north of Pretoria, reeling in shock.

A criminologist has called for more to be done to protect women and children. On Sunday, a Grade 7 pupil was raped and murdered – a week after the annual 16 Days for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign concluded.

Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane said: “The perpetrator allegedly trespassed the pupil’s home by entering through a window, and reportedly raped and strangled her to death.

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“It is alleged that her parents were sleeping in the other room, and only realised what took place in the morning.” Chiloane said police were investigating.

“We are devastated at the occurrence of this gruesome incident,” he said. This is not the first incident of this nature in Soshanguve this year, following the rape and murder of matric pupil Palesa Malatji, 17, from Ntsako Secondary School in May.

Malatji’s body was found in a veld after she never returned home from extra class that day. Despite awareness campaigns against gender-based violence (GBV), horrifying statistics of violence against women and children were on the rise.

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In the first three months of 2023, the police quarterly crime stats indicated that 10 512 women were raped, 1 485 attempted murders of women were reported, and 969 women were killed. Police recorded 15 000 cases on assaults against women.

In the second quarter, 895 women were killed between April and June, with 293 children also murdered during this period.

Between October and December last year, more than three children and 12 women were murdered daily.

Criminologist prof Jaco Barkhuizen said GBV and sexual abuse remained a huge problem in South Africa. Barkhuizen said children were no longer safe in their own homes.

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There should be more educational programmes and more capacitated sexual violence units in the police were needed to win the fight against GBV, he said.

“Unfortunately cases like these will happen until all sectors come together for a fully comprehensive programme to address GBV and sexual abuse.”