WINDHOEK – The mother of the five-year-old girl who was kidnapped from her pre-primary school in Khomasdal and later brutally raped on Thursday signed a form at the Gender-Based Violence Investigation Unit (GBVIU) that the suspect does not get bail today. 

A 50-year-old man is expected to appear in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court following the incident. 
He will appear on two charges, of rape and kidnapping.

Police spokesperson Chief Inspector Kauna Shikwambi said the suspect had served time in prison for murder and rape. Shikwambi said the man was released from a correctional facility two years ago.
The little girl’s name cannot be mentioned because she is a minor, but her photo and a short description that she was missing went viral on social media on Thursday. 

After a massive search for the little girl, she was found on Thursday evening.
She was taken from her school, Blinkogies Pre-Primary School in Khomasdal, around 13h00 by an unknown man. 

The girl’s mother, whose identity cannot also be revealed in the interest of the child, said the suspect is a family member of her brother-in law and he is known to the little girl and the family.

On Thursday the mother said her 19-year-old daughter   went to pick up her younger sister but she wasn’t at school. The older sister then called her mother and father to ask if they had picked her up, to which they responded in the negative. 

The little girl also has nieces at the same school and the family called their parents to ask if they had picked her up and they also said no.

“The teacher said a man picked her up. He was calling her name and went to wake her up. He was smelling of alcohol,” the mother said. 

“I am thankful she is alive,” the devastated mother told New Era. But she said her daughter would not be returning to the school anymore.

With the assistance of social media the man was spotted in Wambo location at a shebeen with the little girl, who had no jersey on despite the cold, winter  weather.

“It is hard to deal with. I finished my part with the police and tomorrow (Monday) we will taking her for counselling. It is unfortunate it happened to us. We must face reality,” said the mother. She said she was yet to go to the school to enquire as to how the child was taken from school.  

Shikwambi said she appreciated the efforts of people on social media as they were helpful for a good cause. She cautioned teachers to verify with parents when unknown people come pick up children from school. “How do you give the child to someone you don’t know? Why don’t you call the parents and tell them there is a unknown man who came to pick up your child,” said Shikwambi.

Shikwambi said parents should not trust anybody even if it is family with their children especially a girl child. She said statistics revealed that most child rapes and violations are committed by people who are close to them.

In a separate incident, Shikwambi shared that another five-year-old girl was raped at Onghalulu village in Okongo in the north.

“Three suspects were interrogated, including the mother’s ex-boyfriend. Samples were taken from the three suspects and submitted for forensic examination,” Shikwambi said.

She said it is alleged that the suspect found the victim with other children younger than her in the house, sleeping.  The suspect called the victim by name and told her to come with him so that he could give her some wild berries. 

“He allegedly picked her up from the house and went with her in the field where he gave her wild berries. He thereafter sexually molested her and took her back home,” said Shikwambi.  
The victim’s mother realised the next morning that her daughter had difficulty walking and she saw the child had blood on her legs. The mother took the child to the hospital and the police were alerted.