A 25-year-old man was arrested in connection with the rape of a six-year-old girl a week ago, Johannesburg police reported on Monday.
Superintendent Chris Wilken said the man was arrested in Alexandra, Johannesburg’s north-eastern township, around 9.30 on Monday night. Members of the community alerted police after his identikit was released last week.
After the tip-off, made to patrolling crime prevention unit officers, was made the task team detectives set up to investigate the rape went to the Alexandra house identified by the community. The man was arrested there.
The girl’s rape caused a furore after a city newspaper published a front page story on the crime.
Wilken said the man would appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. In the meantime police were still investigating.
He said as far as he was aware the little girl, who had to undergo reconstructive surgery after her ordeal, was still in hospital.
Wilken said police were very grateful to the Alexandra community for the tip-off. Police had received information that the man was in Limpopo and were concentrating their efforts there.
”We are very thankful to the community. They could have kept quiet,” he said. – Sapa