Rape of girl (4): Residents rampage, loot suspects tuck shop, damage police van

South African Police Service

Rape of girl (4): Residents rampage, loot suspects tuck shop, damage police van
Rape of girl (4): Residents rampage, loot suspects tuck shop, damage police van

Police in Bohlokong are investigating a case of malicious damage to state property, business burglary and public violence. This comes after a tuck shop was looted and ransacked by community members on the evening of Monday 1 February 2021.

According to reports community members were apparently angry after a 4-year-old child was allegedly raped by the owner of the tuck-shop in question. An outrage took place immediately after the suspect was taken in for questioning and put in the police van, residents demanded the suspect to be handed to them and began to throw police van with stones while police drove away with the suspect.

It was later discovered that those residents went to the suspect’s tuck-shop and looted it. Groceries worth thousands of rands were reported to have been stolen from the tuck-shop.

Free State Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane says irrespective of how angry those residents were, they had no right to damage police van and loot the tuck-shop. “Taking law in one’s hands has never been a solution instead it makes matters worse as it is crime on its own.” concludes Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane.”

SAPS Newsroom

SOURCESouth African Police Service