South African 15-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the rape of an eight-year-old girl. The eight-year-old, whose name cannot be released, was also bitten and had her eyes gouged out.

The attack happened while the girl was walking home from school on Monday. According to the Daily Mail, police suspect that the child was dragged into a sugar field by the boy.

He gouged her left eye out the socket and tried but failed with the right eye which was left swollen shut, said police spokesman Thulani Zwane. She was bleeding profusely from both eyes.

The suspect also bit her in the neck, raped her and left her lying helplessly on the ground, said Zwane.

Severely injured, the girl was able to drag herself home where a relative was able to take her to Ngwelezane Hospital in Empangnei, reported Pretoria News. She is in serious, but stable condition, and is currently receiving counseling.

The 15-year-old was turned in by his grandmother after he was accused of raping another girl, reported News24. We called the police and he was arrested, said the boy's unidentified grandmother, who claimed that at home he acted like a normal child. We are horrified by this incident, continued the grandmother.

The suspect's grandmother seems to believe the evil spirits are what triggered the 15-year-old's unforgivable actions. According to News24, during Easter weekend the boy was having visions of a man who told him to commit evil acts. We prayed for him at the time that he would no longer dream of this evil man, said the grandmother. I believe evil spirits led him to do what he did.

The 15-year-old appeared in court yesterday where he was bailed, and a hearing was scheduled for May 25.

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