LEVUBU – The Police at Levubu have arrested a 17-year-old youth from Kuruleni Village, in connection with the raping of a dumb woman.

Police spokesperson, Captain Mashudu Malelo, said they were informed that the boy met the woman, twenty-three years of age, while walking alone in the street at about 20:00 last Saturday.

"As he was busy trying to negotiate with her, the woman kept quiet. The youth then allegedly dragged the woman to the nearby bush and raped her," said Malelo. The case was immediately reported to Levubu police and the youth was arrested. He appeared in the Vuwani Magistrate's Court on Tuesday and his case was postponed to July 22. He was not given the option of bail.

Meanwhile, police in Vuwani arrested a 27-year-old Indian man for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl.

According to Malelo, the man allegedly raped the woman continually between June last year and February this year.

"We were informed that this girl used to visit her grandmother in the area. The man used to rape her in the store-room of his shop whenever she came for shopping. The mother became suspicious when she realised that her daughter was gaining weight. She took her to the doctor, where it was confirmed that she was pregnant. She then told her mother that the Indian guy was responsible." The matter was reported to the police and he was arrested on Tuesday, said Malelo.

The man was still to appear before the court at the time of going to press.