The Chesterville community in Durban is demanding justice after a grandmother and her six-year-old grandchild were raped this Sunday morning. It’s alleged that the grandmother opened the door to someone she knows who then raped her and her granddaughter. A neighbour who wishes to remain anonymous says she found the victim traumatised inside her house.
“She confirmed that the suspect also raped and strangled the child. When I checked the child’s panties there was blood and there was also a trail of blood leading to the toilet. I left to seek help from other neighbours and told them what happened. When I went back to the house I saw the suspect and ran away. When he was asked what he’s doing at the victims’ house so early in the morning he said he went to look for his phones.”
A relative who cannot be named to protect the victims’ identities says the family is angry.
“The problem I have with this whole thing is that this guy came here and did what he did and then he went away and came back again because he forgot his phone and came back to fetch his phone. That really angers me. So, what I want from the police is for them to do their job.”
Limpopo police looking for two rape suspects
Meanwhile, Limpopo police are looking for two rape suspects who allegedly raped two teenage girls in two separate incidents in the Senwabarwana and Bolobedu areas.
One of the suspects is a 15-year-old boy who allegedly raped his 13-year-old sister on two occasions.
It is alleged that the 13-year-old girl was first raped by her 15-year-old brother at their home while watching TV. The suspect allegedly raped the young girl for the second time while the family slept.
In a separate case, it is alleged that a 14-year-old girl was raped while walking home from school between Malele and Rammutla villages. It is further alleged that the rape happened in the presence of the learner’s friend, whom the suspect had allegedly constrained while he committed the crime.
Police say both suspects are on the run.
Limpopo Social Development Spokesperson, Witness Tiva says social workers have been deployed to offer counselling services to the families of the victims.
“We are continuing to lose the lives of women and children and some children are being raped at the hands of perpetrators who are supposed to be loving and caring for them. As the department, we have already deployed social workers to the affected families where they are providing psycho-social support in terms of ensuring that their families and the victims are coping.,” says Tiva.
In the video below, Marike Killer discusses the protection orders against Gender-based Violence:
Role of culture in GBV
SABC reporter Busisiwe Jemsana-Mantashe in Eastern Cape investigated the role of culture as an enabling weapon against women. She spoke to women abused by their husbands. Their suffering only ended when the men died.
Below is a discussion about the role of culture in GBV:
