Cape Town – A 58-year-old farmer has been arrested and charged for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a 14-year-old girl near the rural town of Klawer in the Western Cape.
The man, who is from Trawal, near Klawer, was arrested on September 1 and made his first court appearance in the Klawer Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
According to Billy Claasen, director of the Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation, the incident occurred on Tuesday, August 30.
He said members of the organisation visited the victim and her mother, a farmworker.
“It is alleged that the farmer and his wife assaulted and heavily traumatised this child to the extent that she cannot sleep,” he said.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut confirmed the arrest.
“It is alleged that the suspect loaded the victim into his vehicle after she was confronted on his farm. She was allegedly also assaulted,” Traut said.
Claasen alleged that more victims had come forward.
“It now seems that this farmer also assaulted other children in the past and nothing has happened. We spoke to one victim, who is also a child. His mother was not home and we did not want to speak to him without his mother's consent.
“We are of the view that the police need to do a thorough investigation into this case and follow up on other information.
“They need to send a team into the Trawal area. If needs be they need to assist parents to open cases against this man that keeps on assaulting children.
“This is unacceptable and we need to make sure that these children and their families get the necessary help and assistance from the Department of Social Development and the police,” Claasen said.
He said they were calling for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to oppose bail in this matter.
Claasen also called for the farmer’s wife to be arrested as she was allegedly an accomplice in the crime.
“This is unacceptable that children are not safe in Klawer area and we asked the police to desist from giving this farmer police bail as is the norm at the rural stations.
“We also request the NPA to oppose bail in this case. We need to protect our children. “These attacks on our poor children need to stop. He must remain in custody and his wife must also be arrested,” he added.
The farmer is expected to apply for bail in the Klawer Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, September 8.