A 41-year-old Gelvandale man will appear in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court tomorrow for allegedly raping a 2-year-old girl.
Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the man, who cannot be named until he pleads in court, was arrested only hours after the rape.
“It is alleged that on Sunday evening a 2-year-old girl went missing from her home in Gelvandale. The mother of the child was not home at the time. The matter was reported to police and together the community and police conducted an extensive search in the area,” she said in a statement today.
“At about 23:30 the same evening, the child was seen walking alone on a road in the area.”
Naidu said police arrested the man at his house in Helenvale at about 1.30am on Monday.
“The suspect is known to the child,” she said.
The case has been handed over to the specialist Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit.
Naidu said that the mother had gone out and the child was left in the grandmothers care at the time.
“At the she went missing, she was playing outside with other children,” she said.
Naidu urged parents to take responsibility for their children and to ensure their safety at all times.
“During this festive season, there should be a greater and more intensified awareness among parents and guardians to look after and protect their children,” she said.
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