Police in Mpumalanga have urged parents and guardians to be vigilant following a string of rapes against minors in Vosman, Mpumalanga.
The incidents date back from March this year, when a seven year old victim was abducted and raped, according to local authorities.
The police say from there on, a number of similar incidents involving victims aged between seven and thirteen were reported.
The psychological effects of rape:
This comes as Deputy President, Paul Mashatile, officially launched the 16 Days of Activism campaign for No Violence Against Women and Children in that province.
Mpumalanga Police Spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala says, “The modus operandi within this particular kind of a situation is that they would abduct the young children- that have been playing, maybe in the street, and they will go and rape and dump them in that particular fashion.
One would expect that a sober and mature person would respect the children. Indeed we suspect that this particular person is suffering from a particular kind of mentality, hence we say that this person indeed might have been the person who socially targeted children.”
More than 10 500 people were raped from January to March this year, 306 cases less than the same period last year.
Women continued to suffer violent attacks, mostly by men. From January to March this year, nearly 1000 women were murdered, and more than 15 000 assaulted.
