Pretoria – The Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities Lulu Xingwana has called on the police to speed up the investigation into the case of a man who is alleged to have committed 100 counts of rape.
A 40-year-old man from Tembisa, who is believed to have been in police custody since July last year, appeared in the Protea Magistrate’s Court this morning. His case was postponed to 10 April.
He stands accused of rape, kidnapping and assault and may even be facing further charges.
The minister said in a statement on Thursday that she was concerned that the investigation appeared to be taking long.
“Hence we are calling on the process to be expedited without compromising the quality of the investigation so that ultimately justice can be served. Swift action will send a message that crimes against children and vulnerable groups in society will not go unpunished,” said the minister.
She added that the victims and their families must be commended for reporting the crime to the police, which led to the identification and arrest of the suspect.
The minister, who is the chairperson of the National Council Against Gender-Based Violence (NCGBV), said the NCGBV appealed to all sectors of society to ensure the safety of children in and out of school and to give survivors and their families support.
“As supervisors over our children it is important that we are more attentive to issues and reports they raise and observe any behavioural changes that might be an indication of some form of abuse so as to act quickly in stopping violations of their rights.
“It is also incumbent upon every parent; care giver and teacher to make sure children are able to identify encounters with strangers that can lead to violation of their rights,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za
