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[File Image] The SAPS Anti-Gang Unit at the Downsberg Sport Field in Hanover Park in Cape Town.
The Eastern Cape government has welcomed the deployment of the police’s Specialised Sexual Offences Unit to Matatiele.
The unit will oversee the investigation into the alleged rape of a seven-year-old girl at a school in October last year.
Premier Oscar Mabuyane says the step is significant as it reinforces government’s commitment to fighting gender-based violence and protecting vulnerable groups.
He has urged the community to cooperate with the investigators.
Mabuyane’s spokesperson Khuselwa Rantjie says the Premier is in contact with the victim’s family, particularly the mother to offer support amid this difficult time and has actioned proposals that formed part of their interaction.
“On behalf of government, the Premier wants to assure the family, the community of Matatiele and broader Eastern Cape that we are taking this matter with the utmost seriousness. He has reiterated the province’s unwavering dedication to creating safer communities for all residents, especially children.”
Related video | Protest against the rape of children after 7-year-old’s ordeal:
Meanwhile, a 15-year-old old girl is seeking justice after a teacher allegedly raped her at a school outside Mbombela in Mpumalanga.
She was among residents of Mbombela who took to the streets yesterday to call for justice for the seven-year-old girl.
The teenager says her attacker was arrested and released last year.
Video| Mpumalanga residents march over GBV cases:
