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Family of 13-year-old rape victim threatened

Child rape with shadow of a child in the background.
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The family of a 13-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by three men says it is feeling unsafe after one of the family members received death threats. This after they opened a cases against 61-year-old Gaolatlwe Tsienyane, 56-year-old Ruele Matlhola and 20-year-old Tshiamo, who allegedly raped the girl over a period of a year. It is alleged that one of the suspects impregnated the girl. The three men appeared in the Kgomotso Magistrate’s Court in the North West on Wednesday and their case was postponed to Wednesday next week for a formal bail application.

The girl’s aunt says the family will not be intimidated.

“I feel like we’re not safe at home since we opened this case. Last Friday, a group of men came to look for me but I was not home. These are the same young men who threatened to kill me, saying I think I’m smart.”

Meanwhile, community members were in court to demand that the suspects be denied bail.

“We don’t want those men to get bail. What they did is very cruel, they must not get bail. We didn’t expect this in the community because one of those men is a very respected man.”

“Those men must stay where they belong because right now we are scared of them,” another community member said.

“They are inhuman. We urge the government to please come through for us this time around.”

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