Government is appealing to the public to report sexual offences against children to the South African Police Services (SAPS) for swift and decisive action in bringing perpetrators thereof to justice.
It said this will help address statutory rape and its contribution to high teenage pregnancy rates.
According to the government, “as long as there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an adult is engaged in a sexual relationship with a minor, the justice system must be activated to hold the adult accountable.”
The appeal come after a 28-year-old man, Ditebogo Gololo, appeared at the Seshego Magistrates’ Court in Polokwane, facing charges of statuary rape and sexual grooming of a minor. This after he allegedly impregnated a 13-year-old girl in Seshego township.
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According to the National Prosecuting Authority in Limpopo, Gololo allegedly groomed the child after meeting at a mall in January this year, until they became intimate in May 2024.
“The minor only revealed the incident to her aunt after experiencing complications, and later in November 2024, medical tests confirmed she was eight months pregnant, thus ultimately giving birth to a baby boy on Christmas Day, 25 December 2024.
The police were informed about the incident, and the suspect was swiftly arrested by Seshego Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit on Thursday, 26 December 2024.
The docket will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for directives,” read a statement from the NPA. The suspect was arrested a day after the child gave birth. The teenage mother is among the many who gave birth across the country on Christmas Day, prompting government calls for the incidents to be reported to the police.
The case was postponed for bail application and further investigations to 08 January 2025. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Police, Polly Boshielo, has condemned the incident.
“I hope this heinous crime does not happen again. The scourge of teenage pregnancy is very bad in this country. For the financial year under review, 2023/24, a total of 29 150 gender-based violence and femicide perpetrators were arrested. In Limpopo, there has been a challenge of rape cases involving children, especially in the Seshego and Matlala policing areas,” said Boshielo.
In addition, Boshielo said she has instructed the police in Limpopo to implement a programme to address these social issues.
