A 51-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder and rape of a 15-year-old girl, whose naked and bruised body was found in bushes after she went missing.
The young girl was found murdered in Khalavha (plantation), Siloam policing area, in Vhembe District on Tuesday morning, November 12.
The Limpopo police spokesperson, Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the girl was previously reported missing on Monday, November 11.
According to preliminary investigations, the teenager was seen leaving with the suspect on Monday, November 11, but never returned home.
Despite an immediate search, the girl’s whereabouts remained unknown until the following day, when her naked body was located in the bushes.
She sustained Injuries in her upper body that suggested she had been raped.
Upon the arrival of the Emergency Medical Services, they confirmed her death at the scene.
Police have opened a murder investigation, and the suspect was quickly taken into custody.
The suspect is set to appear in Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, November 14, facing charges of murder.
Further charges may follow, depending on the results of the ongoing investigation.
Limpopo police commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, condemned the crime and urged parents to take extra care in protecting their children.
IOL News