Cape Town - Reeling in shock from the rape of a Grade 9 Kasselsvlei Comprehensive High pupil, and the subsequent arrest of the suspect, Bellville South residents will on Friday join hands in solidarity against crime and shine the spotlight on gender-based violence during a picket at the school from 7.15am to 8.15am.
The pupil was making her way to school on Monday when the rape took place, leaving fellow pupils, staff and the community distraught and calling for an end to crime that is spiralling out of control in the community.
Footage showing the suspect approaching the pupil and taking her to the back yard of a nearby property has been handed over to the police, according to the pupil’s school.
Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk said: “(We) can confirm that a rape of a 16-year-old female was reported. This case is being investigated by the Delft FCS (Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences) Unit. A 32-year-old suspect was arrested on Thursday, and he will appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Monday, on a charge of rape and robbery. The investigation continues.”
School principal Brett Dyers said the school has decided to take a solid stance against criminals in the area preying on the vulnerable, especially after the incident.
“The pupil comes from Delft every day and on that morning she had missed her transport, which she normally travels with with a group of friends. She then went home and asked her parents for taxi fare as she did not want to miss out on school, especially now that we’re preparing for exams.
The taxi she had travelled in dropped her at Robert Sobukwe and while walking down Lily Street she was accosted by the suspect, who held her at knifepoint.
He made her walk to a house where he took her into a shed type of structure at the back of the house where he allegedly raped her for half an hour. He also robbed her of valuables.
She was absolutely distraught. The community was alerted and she was taken to SAPS from where we got the call and we immediately made our way there and met with the parents,” said Dyers.
The pupil was in a visible state of shock and trauma and was immediately taken to Karl Bremer Hospital where medical assessments and tests were done.
“The effect this traumatic incident has had on the pupil has been devastating. She is receiving the counselling she needs after we informed the WCED’s (Western Cape education department’s) circuit manager and immediately jumped into action to offer all forms of support to her and her family. We have just had enough now. We know the crime in this area has been spiralling out of control but this is now the last straw. Our pupils' lives are in danger and the police, despite their efforts, are too thin spread to deal with the amount of crime going on.
This is unacceptable and that is why we have decided to mobilise the community to take a stand against the crime and saying #AbuseNoMore. This is a mobilisation for everyone affected by crimes in our community. My learners' lives are at risk and we can’t sit back any more,” said Dyers.
Safety and security co-ordinator for the Bellville South Residents Group, Mark Suker, said: “The community is outraged and we are saddened by the incident.
Currently, the staff at our local SAPS is stretched and they can’t be all around. People aren’t reporting the crimes, which means SAPS don’t sit with the correct data and statistics to ensure they get more resources. But we have to hold the authorities accountable to protect our communities.”
Education MEC David Maynier said: “Attacks on our children are unacceptable, and we cannot allow such incidents to simply become another statistic.
We must all work together to stamp out gender-based violence in our communities. Anyone who has any information about this incident must urgently contact SAPS.”
Cape Times