CAPE TOWN - The small town of Redelinghuys, about 200km from Cape Town, has been rocked by the arrest of a well-known local painter, following allegations that he sexually assaulted a young girl.
The 79-year-old man was arrested on Monday and is expected to appear at the Vredenburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on a charge of rape.
“It is alleged that the suspect raped an 11-year-old girl on April 13 at around 2.30pm at a Redelinghuys residence,” police spokesperson Andrè Traut said.
According to Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation executive director Billy Claasen, he received a call on Monday informing him about the alleged incident.
“The child lives with her grandmother and she had apparently gone to play with other children. They became familiar with the old man because he would sometimes call them as they come from disadvantaged homes, and give them food, sweets and money. Last Wednesday he invited the children, and that is when he apparently violated the 11-year-old.”
Claasen said it was the child's friends who spoke out about the incident.
“While visiting the family on Monday the grandmother informed me the child didn’t want to talk. The girl was able to tell me that the uncle touched her and started crying. “Understanding that she was still traumatised I called the police who took her to the doctor and the man was later arrested,” he said.
According to Classen the community is a close-knitted rural town and such incidents are not common, either because they are not reported or authorities do not follow up on allegations.
“I have been told this is not the first time where children spoke about this man, but nothing was done.”
He said the man allegedly took advantage of vulnerable children who were hungry .
“We are going to ask that bail be denied and that he not return back into the community,” said Claasen.
He called for Social Development and other departments to ensure facilities where children can play, programmes to address poverty and platforms where GBV incidents can be addressed in rural areas.
Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said they were deeply concerned by cases where vulnerable children were allegedly sexually exploited by older men.
“This is not an isolated incident and it happens far too often in our homes and communities. We appeal to our justice system to impose the harshest sentence on the accused and appeal to members of the community to report all cases of this nature to the nearest police station.”
Cape Times