SAPS condemns crimes against minors as investigations continue
Limpopo police are investigating two separate cases of rape involving minor children in the Vhembe and Waterberg districts.
In the Vhembe District, Musina policing area, a rape case was opened following an incident that allegedly occurred on 22 January 2026 at one of the extensions in the area. According to police, the complainant, who is the victim’s grandmother, reported that the minor boy was allegedly lured away by another minor from the same village after being sent to a local spaza shop.
Police said the victim later managed to escape and reported that he had been raped by a 16-year-old male suspect known to him. As the suspect is also a minor, he was arrested and is currently being dealt with in terms of the Child Justice Act under the supervision of a probation officer.
In a separate incident in the Waterberg District, Lephalale policing area, police are investigating a rape case involving a minor girl. The incident allegedly took place on 15 November 2025 at an informal settlement.
The case was opened on Thursday, 22 January 2026, after the child’s mother discovered that her daughter was pregnant. Medical assessments confirmed the pregnancy, prompting the opening of a criminal case in line with legal requirements.
The suspect, alleged to be the victim’s boyfriend, has not yet been arrested as police investigations continue.
The Provincial Commissioner of Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has strongly condemned crimes committed against children and reiterated the South African Police Service’s commitment to protecting minors. She urged community members to report all forms of abuse and sexual offences against children to the police without delay.
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