Girls abducted from home, raped

Bishop - Two girls, aged 11 and 15, were allegedly abducted, dragged from their home and raped by a group of men in Hanover Village near Bhisho. 

Eastern Cape police spokesperson, Khaya Tonjeni, said a group of men, aged between 18 and 29, had apparently forced their way into the house at around 15:20 on Thursday. 

The men proceeded to allegedly assault the occupants and robbed them of their belongings and an undisclosed amount of money.

As they were leaving the residence, the men allegedly grabbed the two girls and dragged them into the nearby bushes.

The police were immediately called, and detectives from the Bhisho Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit, along with the Provincial Tracking Team were immediately dispatched.

Tonjeni said police searched the area and within an hour both girls had been found.

He said the girls told police the men had raped them, and they were referred for medical attention, emotional counselling and trauma support. 

“Members of K9 Unit were summoned to assist in the investigations while the FCS detectives and the Provincial Tracking Unit proceeded to comb the surroundings looking for clues and the suspects,” he said.

Tanjeni said shortly, thereafter, five suspects were arrested, but two were later released since they could not be positively linked to the crime.

The three suspects will appear at the Zwelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Monday, [April 13 2015] on charges of rape, house robbery and kidnapping.  

The FCS provincial commander, Colonel Philiswa Govane commended the different units for the swift response and speedy arrest. 

“It is through utilising multi-disciplinary approach when we see swift results in tracking and arresting of the perpetrators,” she said.