‘Rape of children is rising’

Five children are raped in the Western Cape every day, according to activists who have been monitoring the numbers, while a shocking 1 909 cases have been reported to police between January and April this year alone.

During the third quarter crimes statistics released by Minister of Police Bheki Cele in February, it was revealed that 4 783 suspects were arrested for sexual offences-related crimes such as rape and attempted rape.

Crime activist Zona Morton said children were being targeted by sexual predators.

“The scourge of rapes against children under the age 10, is bordering on a pandemic. At least five children are raped in the province daily,” she says.

“(There is) a specific case of a teenage girl who was kidnapped and raped repeatedly for 10 months whilst the serial rapist tattooed his name on her genitals and he also violated her with a deodorant cannister.”

The attack took place on April 23, and the perpetrator, a 37-year-old man, who was out on parole at the time, has yet to be arrested.

“This violator of children has a guilty conviction in 2007 and 2013 against his name.

“Why was he enabled to rape and torture another minor in less than 14 years since his first reported rape?” asks Morton.

Western Cape Commissioner for Children, Christina Nomdo, said poverty stricken homes where abuse and social ills flourished contributed to the numbers: “The front-line services, like police and the child protection system at the Department of Social Development must do their jobs well to respond when children are violated.

“Activists should hold communities and front-line services to account to do the best they can.”

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