Rights group slams pace of child rape case against police officer

Non-profit organisation, Women and Men Against Child Abuse, has slammed the snail’s pace in which the case of a police officer who allegedly raped two children is moving.

The implicated officer allegedly raped the learners, who were aged 7 and 8 years respectively at the time, while he was investigating the minors’ rape by Johannes Molefe, a former general worker at AB Xuma Primary School in Soweto.

The incidents allegedly occurred on 12 March 2018, when the officer visited the victims at the school to prepare them for their court appearance.

The case, which WMACA describes as another comedy of errors, has been in court since 2019.

“Only, this comedy is not so funny for the one remaining victim, now a teenager, who has steadfastly showed up, testified, and pulled through, despite an unimaginable disruption of basically half her life – most of her childhood. Due to the prolonged trauma of the protracted legal proceedings, the other victim’s family decided it was best to withdraw. But Anandi* held on,” says WMACA Head of Advocacy, Luke Lamprecht.

He says intermediaries not being available, the COVID-19 pandemic, court equipment not working, and load shedding have been cited as some of the reasons for the endless postponements.

“People in the real world have jobs, and children have to go to school. How does this work? It doesn’t,” he adds.

The suspect was due to appear in court yesterday, but the matter was again postponed.

He is now scheduled to appear before the Protea Magistrate’s Court on May 31. Written by Maneo Motsoeneng