A NINE-year-old boy allegedly raped two girls aged five and eight on Saturday at Omatjete in the Erongo region.
According to police spokesperson Edwin Kanguatjivi, the suspect allegedly followed the girls into the bush where they had gone to relieve themselves. He grabbed the eight-year-old and raped her before turning to the five-year-old.
The incident happened at 19h00 at Ozondati village.
“It is further alleged that the suspect was expelled from school due to his unbecoming behaviour towards other pupils. The suspect has not been arrested. Police investigations continue,” stated Kanguatjivi.
According to article 15 of the Constitution, which deals with children’s rights, “no law […] shall permit children under the age of 16 years to be detained”.
Gabriel Matthews, a Wanaheda community police officer working at the Gender-Based Violence Unit at the Katutura Intermediate Hospital, said some cases involving a child raping another could be fuelled by the fact that children are exposed to parents who are engaging in the act in their presence, or from images on their phones.
This is one of six rape cases involving minors reported across the country by the police.
On Friday, a man, whose age is unknown, surrendered to the police after allegedly raping an eight-year-old girl. The girl has contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) as a result of this rape.
The suspect, according to the police report, developed a guilty conscience when the minor started showing symptoms of an STD, and that pushed him to confess and hand himself over to the police.
In another incident, a 32-year-old man was arrested for allegedly raping a four-year-old girl in the Omaheke region’s Farm Ongoromoshiwa. The victim had been left in the care of the suspect, who is her uncle, for two months.
“The victim was admitted at a hospital, and is in a stable condition,” Kanguatjivi said.
At Oniiyagaya village in the Oshikoto region, a 31-year-old man was arrested for allegedly raping a seven-year-old girl at around 22h00 on Friday.
Kanguatjivi explained that the suspect, who is a domestic worker at the victim’s family house, called the victim and her 10-year-old cousin into his bedroom to watch videos on his cellphone.
He then allegedly told the cousin to go outside before raping the seven-year-old.
The suspect was arrested, and was set to appear in the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
A 24-year-old man allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl on Saturday at Tuhingireni location at Rundu in the Kavango East region.
Police alleged that the suspect went to charge his cellphone at the victim’s house, before requesting her to escort him back to his house, where he allegedly raped her.
The suspect was expected to appear in court yesterday.
The last case was reported at Onandjamba village in the Okankolo area, where a 21-year-old allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl whom he had walked with from school.
Kanguatjivi said when they reached the suspect’s house, the suspect pulled the girl into his bedroom, where he raped her. The suspect was arrested, and was expected to appear in court yesterday.
