A man was arrested on Thursday night for allegedly raping an eight-year-old Soshanguve girl who later died of her injuries, Pretoria police reported on Friday.
The girl died in the Ga-Rankuwa Hospital on Sunday, almost two weeks after she was allegedly raped by a neighbour, said police spokesperson Inspector Percy Morokane.
”The preliminary medical report indicates that she was raped and died due to internal injuries.”
A 26-year-old Zimbabwean national was arrested at Extension 8, Soshanguve, shortly before midnight, Morokane said. He would appear in the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of rape and murder.
The girl was allegedly raped by a neighbour visiting her family at their shack shortly before Christmas.
Her mother apparently left the girl, who was asleep, alone with the visitor while she went to an outside toilet.
”When she came back, the girl was awake and crying, but soon went to sleep again.”
The next morning, the girl was ill but unable to say what was wrong with her, Morokane said. She was admitted to hospital later that day.
The girl apparently told hospital staff about the rape. Her parents reported the matter to the police on Thursday. The exact day of the rape was not known to police, who still had to take a full statement from the girl’s mother, Morokane said. – Sapa