The Thohoyandou police have arrested a man on a charge of rape and his mother on a charge of  defeating the ends of justice, in respect of the information about the alleged rape.

The 23-year-old man and his mother, aged 40, were arrested at Tswinga outside Thohoyandou, following a complaint laid with the police by the victim's teacher. According to police information, the incidents leading to the arrests took place between March 2010 and May 2011.

The police said the 11-year-old victim and the suspects were related and lived together in the same house.

Thohoyandou police spokesperson Constable Avhafarei Tshiovhe said the first incident allegedly occurred in March 2010. It is alleged that  the suspect pretended that he wanted the girl to clean his room. There were two other girls who were playing outside. Inside the room, the suspect allegedly undressed the girl and raped her. The girl is said to have informed her aunt on her return, but the aunt did nothing to help her.

The suspect  allegedly raped the girl again in April 2011. The suspect's mother was away and he once again lured the girl to his room. It is said that the suspect apparently undressed the victim and raped her once more. The girl is said to have reported the matter to her aunt, who decided not to pursue the matter.

In May 2011, the victim and the aunt, as well as the suspect, were together at home when the the suspect allegedly tried to drag the victim to his room in the presense of his mother. She, however, did nothing.

The victim reported the matter to her teacher, who in turn reported the matter to the police. A case was opened and the suspects were arrested last Thursday. The aunt was arrested for defeating the ends of justice.

The two appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Courts on Friday and the case was postponed to 29 March. The suspects are both in custody.