A 40 year old suspect is expected to appear in the Bafokeng Magistrates’ Court in Tlhabane on 7 January 2020, for alleged kidnapping and murder of a 15 year old girl.
It is alleged that the suspect was seen leaving a local tavern in Chaneng village outside Phokeng in the company of the victim and her 18 year old friend on Tuesday, 24 December 2019. He allegedly went to his place where he raped the pair.
Subsequent to the incident, a case of rape was opened for investigation. The suspect evaded the arrest until he met the 15 year old victim at the same tavern again on Tuesday, 31 December 2019.
They left the tavern and were both seen entering the nearby bushes between midnight and 01:00 on New Year’s Day. Since then, the victim was never seen. As a result, the victim’s parents opened a case of kidnapping on Friday, 3 January 2020.
At that point, the suspect was already in detention after being arrested on Wednesday, 1 January 2020 through information received from members of the community, for the initial rape allegedly committed on Tuesday, 24 December 2019. Thus, he appeared in the Bafokeng Magistrates’ Court on two separate cases of rape on Friday, 3 January 2020.
Further investigation into the matter led to discovery of the 15 year old victim’s decomposed body in the bushes at about 11:00 on Sunday, 5 January 2020 at Chaneng village. The suspect who has two more rape cases pending against him, is expected to appear in court again tomorrow facing charges of kidnapping and murder.
The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena condemned the incident in the strongest possible terms and said that the police will have no mercy in dealing with those who commit gender based violence. He expressed his gratitude to members of the community for coming forth with information that led to the arrest of the suspect. Furthermore, the Provincial Commissioner urged the public to collaborate with the police in protecting women and children as well as to ensure that perpetrators are brought to book as it happened in this incident.
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