Man arrested for statutory rape re-appears in court
CAPRICORN – Ditebogo Frans Gololo (28) facing a charge of statutory rape involving a 13 year-old girl who gave birth on Christmas Day at Seshego Hospital re-appeared at the local Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 8 January for bail application and his case was postponed to 3 March.
Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, Limpopo Provincial Police spokesperson, said according to reports, the victim and the suspect met at a shopping complex in Seshego in January 2024 and began communicating until they became intimate in May that year.
Mashaba stated that the girl only revealed the incident to her aunt after experiencing complications, following which; medical tests confirmed that she was eight months pregnant in November 2024, thus eventually giving birth to a baby boy last Christmas Day.
“Police were informed about the incident and a statutory rape case was registered for further investigations. The suspect was swiftly arrested by Seshego Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit on Thursday, 26 December 2024,” explained Mashaba.
The Provincial Commissioner of South African Police Service (SAPS) in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, stressed that the province would not tolerate such inhumane acts and urged parents to protect their children at all times.
She assured that cases of a similar nature, in which children are sexually molested, will be investigated throughout the province and perpetrators brought to book to face the full might of the law.
The suspect made his first court appearance at the court on Monday, 30 December 2024 facing charges of statutory rape and sexual grooming of a minor.
Limpopo provincial government, represented by MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Violet Mathye and Health MEC, Dieketseng Mashego and Capricorn District Municipality Executive Mayor, Mamedupi Teffo as well as Deputy Minister of Police, Polly Boshielo attended the first court appearance in support of the victim.
MEC Mashego and Executive Mayor Teffo joined several other community leaders and members during the suspect’s re-appearance on Wednesday, 8 January.