Kimberley - Three young girls were raped on Saturday evening after they were lured through a hole in a fence at West End Club, allegedly by a man who is known to them.
Police have arrested a 26-year-old suspect in connection with the incident.
It is believed that the girls, aged seven, 10 and 12, had left their homes in Donkerhoek to attend an event at the venue in Schmidtsdrift Road, where they were lured into the nearby bushes and raped.
This is according to the parents of the young girls and the social workers who interviewed the children. They said that the promise of some excitement in the city was too difficult for the girls to resist.
Saturday’s event was the first ever “Movie Night Under the Stars”, presented by Investong Events, in partnership with the Northern Cape Department of Tourism and the Sol Plaatje Municipality.
While the organisers were thrilled at the overall success of the evening, they were shocked when they found out about the rapes and vowed to do all in their power to assist in taking proactive action.
On Sunday, Childline’s Ntombi James said that she had received a call on Saturday night from one of the organisation’s social workers, who was at the movie evening, saying that she was with three children who were crying and appeared to have been molested.
“She alerted the police about the situation but when they had not arrived by 9pm, she decided to take the girls home,” said James.
“Eventually, once police had arrived at around midnight, we took the girls to hospital where a medical examination confirmed that they had been raped.”
According to James, the girls are all neighbours and had been playing in the street near their homes in Donkerhoek when they heard music in the distance and went to investigate.
“I’m absolutely shocked that something like this could happen to my daughter,” said the mother of one of the victims at the scene of the crime on Sunday afternoon.
“She is my only child and I feel terrible about what happened to her.
“They were just playing outside, like they always do,” added another parent. “They got curious and followed the music. There is very little for children to do in this area so when something exciting happens, children are drawn to it. It all happened so quickly.”
While neither parent knew their daughter’s alleged assailant, James confirmed that he was known to the children and had been reported to the police.
“We would just like to request that in future, event coordinators invite us (Childline) to become involved in their initiatives to assist by running a missing children’s service where we can help families that have been separated in the crowds.
“The girls said that they did ask a security guard for help in returning home safely but unfortunately he was not able to leave his post. This whole thing could have been avoided.”
Meanwhile, Investong Events’ coordinator, Danny Tong, said that they were shocked to hear of the crimes which had soured an otherwise very successful event.
“This type of thing should never be allowed to happen anywhere,” Tong said on Sunday. “At this stage, we do not have all the information we need to decide our way forward. We need details, like exactly where, when and how it happened.
“Security were out in full force and the event was a great success with both young and old able to enjoy a fun evening together, enjoying a movie while supporting local business.
“We will be meeting tomorrow (on Monday) to discuss the matter and what we are planning on doing to ensure it doesn’t happen again. We will be doing absolutely everything we can to assist.”
Meanwhile, a suspect was apprehended late on Sunday afternoon.
“The SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit in Kimberley is investigating the rapes,” confirmed police spokesman, Captain Sergio Kock.
“On Saturday, at about 7pm, three girls aged seven, 10 and 12 were allegedly on their way home from Long Street to Donkerhoek in Galeshewe. A man, known to them, lured them towards the West End Club and shoved them through a hole in the fence.”
“He raped two of the three girls in a bushy area near a canal on the club’s premises. The 10-year-old victim apparently managed to escape and called for help.
“On Sunday, a 26-year-old man was arrested with the help of the community. The suspect should be appearing in court soon,” said Kock.
Diamond Fields Advertiser