MULEDANE – A 46-year-old man was arrested by the Thohoyandou SAPS last Friday on allegations of raping his stepdaughter(20) at Muladae-Vhatukanani at about 20:00.

According to the police statement, the victim, who was staying with her husband in another village, was raped when visiting her mother. On arrival, she found her stepfather who informed her that her mother had gone to a funeral service at the village. “The stepfather started complaining that, since she got married, she had distanced herself from him and her mother,” reads part of the statement.

In his strategy to rape her, the alleged rapist requested his victim to get closer as he wanted to tell her some good news. According to Supt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi, spokesperson of the SAPS in Vhembe, the stepfather's good news was to ask her for sexual intercourse and as the victim refused, he threatened her before allegedly raping her. The arrested rapist is expected to appear in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court soon.

In a separate incident, the Thohoyandou police are hoping to arrest a man who allegedly raped his 27-year-old wife at Godeni-Ha-Mabilu last Friday at about 20:00. According to the police, the wife was given an instruction at her church on Friday not to have any sexual intercouse until Sunday, but the husband forced her despite such church rules. “The suspect allegedly assaulted her and she tried to run from the room half naked. He gave chase and continued assaulting her. We also heard that he dragged her to the room, where he had sex with her against her will. A rape case has been opened.”

The Levubu police have arrested a 61-year-old man last Friday for allegedly raping a 10-year-old girl several times at Ha-Mashau-Misevhe B. According to the police, the pensioner had been raping the little girl since June this year. It is alleged that at times the victim was raped at the suspect’s mielie field and given R1 to keep quiet. Last Friday, things turned sour for the ageing man when the victim's mother noticed that her daugher had been raped. After asking the little girl, who confessed that she had had intercourse with the pensioner five times, the mother immediately reported the matter to the police.

It was also reported that an inquest docket has been opened at the Thohoyandou SAPS following the discovery of the lifeless body of a police inspector who was attached to the Capricorn Area at Dzimauli-Gogogo on Monday at about 08:00. It is alleged that the deceased left home at Dzimauli, Tshibvumo village, on Sunday, but the following day, Monday, his vehicle was found parked next to the road with blood stains on the ground by a community member. A few minutes later, community members followed blood spots and footprints until they discovered the corpse of the police inspector with an open wound in the neck.

A knife with blood stains was also found next to the deceased’s body, while his sandals were left next to his vehicle. An inquest case was opened for further investigation by the Thohoyandou SAPS.

In a separate incident, the Levubu police have opened an inquest docket after a 21-year-old man was found hanging dead inside a caravan at Levubu Caravan Park on Sunday at about 14:00. The deceased was found by a community member. Police investigations are continuing.