Father arrested for allegedly raping 8-month-old daughter

A 35-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping his 8-month-old daughter in Mpumalanga, police said on Wednesday.

Police spokesperson Brig Leonard Hlathi said the child was allegedly raped at their home on Monday morning.

The matter was reported to the police and the father was arrested. He is expected to appear in the local magistrate’s court on Wednesday.

The province has been rocked by two other rape cases involving minors.

In the first incident, a 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her stepfather on Monday evening.

“Reports indicate that the girl complained that she was not feeling well and she was taken to a local clinic where, upon medical examination, it was confirmed that she had been raped.

“Police started with the investigation where they swiftly arrested the suspect on the same day the matter was reported,” Hlathi said.

He said the man is expected to appear in the Tonga magistrate’s court on Wednesday.

In a separate incident, a 13-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 35-year-old man who she was believed to be in a relationship with, Hlathi said.

“Information revealed that the girl's mother tried several times to fetch her daughter from the man's house but she would always go back.

“Preliminary investigations have since revealed that the man had been living with the girl since March 2020.”

The incident happened between March and June.

The man was arrested on Tuesday and is expected to appear in the Bushbuckridge magistrate's court on Wednesday.

“Everyone is encouraged to take a stand against the plight of children, hence we will do everything in our power to make sure that all these suspects face the full might of the law.

“We urge the investigation team, the prosecution team as well as the judiciary to ensure that justice is served in these cases involving the young girls whose future has been crushed by these suspects,” provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Mondli Zuma said.