Pregnant teen mom stayed silent after boyfriend raped and murdered 2-year-old daughter
A teen mother allegedly let her boyfriend rape her two-year-old daughter and did nothing as the infant later died. The 17-year-old South African woman and her boyfriend, 30, appeared at Protea Magistrates Court in Soweto on Wednesday, November 25, on charges of rape and murder.
The suspects, whose names were not released by the officials, were arrested on Tuesday after the two-year-old succumbed to her injuries sustained during the alleged sexual assault. The mother of the victim failed to report the alleged rape to the authorities and only opened up about it when a doctor examined the child. The woman, who was several months pregnant, left her daughter in the care of her boyfriend for about two hours on November 15, according to police spokeswoman Brigadier Mathapelo Peters. She added that members of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) specialized unit were summoned by the child's doctor to the hospital on November 16.
“An urgent forensic investigation was embarked on and all relevant forensic evidence collected for processing by the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory," Peters said. “It was only on Tuesday, November 17, that the 17-year old mother of the victim came to report the incident to the police. Nevertheless, this assisted police in obtaining vital information towards building a solid case in order to secure arrests.”
In a statement, she said: "According to the complainant, she woke up in the middle of the night to check on the child only to find the child with serious injuries to her face. She took the child to Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital for medical attention. The outcome of the medical examination found that the child had been penetrated and that is when the doctor called the police. Sadly, the child succumbed to injuries and was certified dead on Thursday 19 November. Investigations continue pending the outcome of the forensic analysis as police seek to build a watertight case that can stand in court and see justice served."
Peters said that during the preliminary investigation, the police have reason to believe that the girl may have suffered abuse previously at the hands of her step-father, and the incidents went unreported."This is the basis of the arrest of the teenage mother who in this instance, only reported the incident to the police two days later," she said.
Following the death of the two-year-old, the initial case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm was changed to murder. The Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Patricia Rampota said that she welcomed the arrest and urged investigators to make sure that all the aspects of the case were thoroughly probed towards getting justice for the little girl. “The SAPS remains committed to upholding the rights of victims of gender-based and domestic violence and femicide, and to prioritize the investigation of all cases where women, children and other vulnerable persons are victims,” she said.
Earlier this month, a 14-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the rape of a five-year-old girl in Namibia. Ohangwena police spokesperson, sergeant Andrew Nghiyolwa, says the incident took place at the Onakalunga village in the Ohangwena region, Namibian reported. He added that the suspect and victim were cousins who lived in the same house.