Father accused of raping daughter

Three cases of rape were opened over the weekend including a case where a young mother was raped while her baby was lying next to her, and a six-year-old girl's father was arrested on charges of raping her.

An alleged rapist remains on the run from police after he raped a 30-year-old mother in the presence of her four-month-old baby in a riverbed in Klein-Aub.

The incident took place on Friday, according to the police.

The man, whose identity is not known, allegedly accosted the woman at 05:30 at Rietoog in a river bed and then “grabbed her and pushed her to the ground with her four-month-old baby”.

The police say he then raped her.

The suspect has not been identified and the police investigation continues.

A 52-year-old man was arrested over the weekend in Opuwo after his six-year-old daughter began complaining of back pain and pain in her lower abdomen.

The police reported that she was taken to the Opuwo state hospital were an examination led to findings that she had been raped.

Further investigation led to the arrest of her biological father, who has since been arrested and appeared in the Opuwo Magistrate's Court. Police are also hunting for a man who allegedly burnt down the house and all of the possessions of his ex-partner and mother of his child on Sunday.

Police say the incident took place in the Goreangab informal settlement.

The 30-year-old owner of the house was warned by her ex-partner in an SMS that he would kill her and then burn down the house.

“The suspect carried out his threat by burning the victim's house and all her belongings were destroyed,” the police crime report stated.

Another rape case was opened at Oshivelo on Sunday, after a 17-year-old teenager was allegedly raped by a 20-year-old man who remains on the run.

The police reported that the incident took place at King Kauluma village.

A passer-by heard the woman screaming and saw the suspect run away.



Robbers go to town

At least four robberies across Namibia over the weekend led to the theft of cash and goods worth more than N$142 000 in total.

A case of armed robbery was opened on Sunday after a Dutch male tourist was robbed at gunpoint at an ATM in Windhoek.

The three suspects were arrested but the N$17 800 in cash they withdrew beforehand and the ATM card have not been recovered to date.

Another case of armed robbery was opened at Omuthiya on Saturday at the Sport News China Shop building after three suspects entered the shop and used a machete and a gun to threaten the three female employees.

The men at first pretended they were customers and asked to buy building materials, but shortly after they pulled out the weapons and forced the employees to open a safe from where they removed N$50 000 cash.

The staff was tied and their mouths covered. The men escaped on foot and have not been arrested to date.

Another armed robbery took place in Okahandja on Saturday at around 01:33.

A security guard who was on duty was threatened with a gun by the armed robber who then proceeded to break into a container with a bolt cutter. He stole two spades, and other equipment valued at N$25 280. No arrests have taken place to date and the investigation continues.

A case of hijacking and robbery is being investigated in Windhoek after three men armed with knives robbed a taxi driver of his vehicle.

The car, a silver Toyota Corolla with registration number N90625W, is valued at N$50 000.

Two suicides were reported over the weekend, leading to the death of a 42-year-old man in Kuisebmund and an NDF Special Forces official at Oshivelo.

Both men committed suicide by hanging from a tree.



JANA-MARI SMITH