A man in Limpopo has been arrested for allegedly raping two teenage girls, killing one and stabbing the other. The 35-year-old gave the girls a lift in Ga-Mokaba village, Mahwelereng, and then forced them into a vehicle. The man then raped the 13-year-old, strangled her, and stabbed the 17-year-old multiple times before fleeing. The 17-year-old, who was severely injured, managed to walk to a nearby village where she was assisted by the community. The suspect, believed to be a repeat sex offender, was caught after a well-planned tactical operation. The vehicle used to transport the victims was confiscated during the arrest. The suspect is expected to appear before the Mahwelereng magistrate's court on Thursday to face charges of two counts of rape, murder, and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
UNCHANGING RAPE STATISTICS IN SA
Between July and September 2023, the South African Police Service reported 10,516 rapes, nearly the same number as the 10,590 cases recorded in the same period last year. The figures show that 4,726 rape incidents took place at either the victim's home or the perpetrator's known home. Contact sexual offences declined by 35.9% between July and September, while common assault rose by 958 incidents to 45,348. While fewer women and children were killed in South Africa between July and September 2023, the crime figures show that many women and children are not safe around trusted individuals and places where they should be safe.
Attacks and violence against women, children, the elderly, and the most vulnerable remain shameful. Between July and September 2023, 1,514 attempted murder incidents involving female victims were reported, and 14,401 assault grievous bodily harm (GBH) incidents were reported. Children were not spared, with 293 children killed between July and September 2023.
The Police Ministry is motivated by the continued successes in bringing to book Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) perpetrators. The arrest of serial sexual offenders is reducing incidents of sexual offenses, and the SAPS continues to collaborate with social partners to eradicate the scourge and educate communities on the matter. Successes include the identification and takedown of 27 sexual predators and the sentencing of Mario Giusti to 6,400 years in jail for over 1,000 charges of child pornography.
The historic DNA backlog has been cleared, and SAPS forensic laboratories continue to work optimally. Policy interventions are coupled with the functioning of GBV desks at police stations, staffed with officers trained in GBVF-related courses and victim empowerment programs.
