Times Of Swaziland: ANOTHER  GIRL (11) DIES AFTER RAPE, COMMUNITY POLICE (72) ACCUSED

ANOTHER  GIRL (11) DIES AFTER RAPE, COMMUNITY POLICE (72) ACCUSED
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BY PHIWASE PHUNGWAYO on 04/01/2022 08:57:00


MANZINI – Yet another minor who was allegedly raped by a trusted member of the
community is said to have died due to complications following the ordeal.
The deceased minor, *Khwezi (11) died on December 27 after she was allegedly
raped by a 72-year-old community police member at Mgungundlovu, Kugucuka.
Mgungundlovu is a rural area on the outskirts of Siphofaneni. It was purported
that the community police member had allegedly raped the minor more than once
and this was discovered during police investigations. It is said the child’s
mother reported the matter to the police, who arrested the man and later
released him on the basis that he had a legal representative.
When narrating the events leading to the death of her child, *Nozibusiso said
she noticed that her child was walking strangely and noticed bloodstains on some
certain parts of her body. According to the minor’s mother, this was not usual
menstruation blood as she was aware that her child had not started her menstrual
cycle. Nozibusiso disclosed that she then asked the minor what was wrong, to
which she first did not open up about her ordeal. “I was stern with her and
threatened to beat her up if she did not tell the truth,” the mother said.
Nozibusiso said it was then that Khwezi divulged that she was allegedly sexually
violated  by the community police member, three times on various occasions.
She alleged that Khwezi told her the elderly man last raped her by the cattle
byre. After getting information from her daughter, the mother revealed that she
took her child to Sithobela Health Centre where doctors allegedly confirmed that
she had been raped. The minor’s mother claimed that she then reported the
matter to the police. She shared that the police arrested the community police
member on the Wednesday of reporting the matter. However, she shared that they
released him last Friday.
“A police officer who identified himself as Myeni called from Siphofaneni
Police Post and informed us that we shouldn’t be surprised to see him out of
jail as he had a lawyer,” Nozibusiso narrated. The mother claimed that her
deceased child started getting sick on the Friday and on Saturday, she passed
away. The community police member could not be reached for comment as his mobile
phone was off for the better part of yesterday. Chief Police Information and
Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed that the
matter was reported to the police. However, she said the community police member
was out on bail. Vilakati mentioned that there were developments with the police
service, which were still being investigated.
Meanwhile, this is not the first incident where a child died after allegedly
being raped. Just yesterday, this publication reported that a three-year-old
died allegedly due to rape injuries complications, allegedly inflicted by her
father. The minor died at about 3am at Mbhuleni in Matsapha while with her
mother. It was purported that the girl’s father had issues with the mother of
his child and allegedly raped his own daughter to spite her.