Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has expressed concerns about the continued acts of gender-based violence after an elderly woman was raped.
Police in Limpopo report an incident in which an 84-year-old woman was allegedly raped by an unknown suspect after he broke into her home in the early hours at about 01:30 on December 27 in Mookgophong.
Reports indicate that the old victim was asleep when the intruder gained access to her house through a window and raped her.
The suspect allegedly fell asleep afterwards, and the victim managed to escape and seek help from the neighbours.
They promptly responded, but the suspect managed to flee from the scene.
Police and medical emergency services were alerted and the victim was transported to a hospital for medical treatment.
“This abhorrent incident does not reflect the values of our community, and we vehemently denounce any form of violence, especially against vulnerable members of society. Our commitment to the safety and well-being of every resident remains unwavering,” said Hadebe.
“We urge anyone with information related to this crime to come forward and assist in the ongoing investigations,” she concluded.
Police have opened a case of rape and housebreaking. The case was transferred to the Modimolle FCS Unit for further investigation.
In another case of rape that also happened in Limpopo, a 26-year-old male was arrested by the members of the community in the Lulekani policing area for an alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl on Tuesday, December 26.
It is reported that the victim left her residence with friends in the evening at Humulani village to celebrate Christmas in the area.
Later on, the victim decided to walk home alone in the early hours at about 2.30am when she was approached by an unknown male who took out a knife and threatened to hurt her.
The suspect dragged the victim to an unknown house, which was abandoned, where the victim was undressed and raped.
After the ordeal, police say that the victim was instructed to leave the house, but she asked the suspect to accompany her because she was afraid to go home alone.
The suspect accompanied the victim to her place but left before her arrival. The victim met three males and told them about the rape incident.
The trio mobilised the members of the community while following the suspect until he reached his residence.
The suspect was later placed under arrest by the community, which immediately called the police. During the arrest, a cellphone and an umbrella belonging to the victim were also recovered.
The Star