MOPANI – The search for three brutal rapists was still continuing at the time of going to press. This follows three separate incidents that took place in the Mopani area over the past weekend.

The first incident took place at the Petanenge Village in the Ritavi area last Friday night. A 78-year-old pensioner was assaulted, before she was brutally raped. According to the police spokesperson in the area, Const Sylvia Hlungwane, it is alleged that the victim was fast asleep when she heard a strange noise inside the house in which she was sleeping.

When she woke up, she saw a man standing at her bedside. Realising that the victim was awake, the man started to assault her with his fists and various objects. At that stage, she was screaming for help. The victim fell down and the man raped her.

The rapist then jumped through the window. She was later taken to the Letaba Hospital where her condition was reportedly unstable. Although the suspect is known, he was still at large at the time of going to press.

In another incident that took place at the Lusaka settlement, a 6-year-old girl was raped last Saturday. According to the police statement, the child’s mother discovered her condition while she was washing her. The statement further indicates that the girl complained of severe pains in her private parts.

She then revealed that she had been raped by a man who is familiar to the family. He was still at large at the time of going to press.

The other incident, in which a 16-year-old girl was raped while collecting firewood in the bushes, took place at the Mandlakazi village in the same area last Friday afternoon at about 17:30.

According to the statement, the rapist emerged from the bushes and ordered the victim to remain silent or else she would be killed. He then grabbed her and pulled her to the dense bushes where he raped her at knifepoint. He was also still on the loose at the time of going to press.