Man Allegedly Rapes His 79-Year-Old Grandmother In South Africa

KEY POINTS

The 37-year-old was arrested after he allegedly raped his 79-year-old grandmother
The victim said both had lived together previously but noted her grandson left for a month without a trace prior to the incident
The grandmother sustained injuries and was admitted to a hospital

A man in South Africa has been arrested for allegedly raping his 79-year-old grandmother on Sunday, local authorities said.

The elderly victim reportedly said she had previously lived with the 37-year-old grandson in Thabong, a township in the Free State province, but the man left briefly without informing her of his location prior to the incident, a statement from the South African Police Service said.

"She has been staying alone for a month at her house in Thabong not knowing the whereabouts of her grandson ... " police said.

According to police, the grandson returned home on Sunday at about 2:30 a.m. and raped the victim. He then allegedly threatened to kill the elderly woman if she notified anyone about the incident.

Authorities did not provide any details pertaining to the arrest. The names of the victim and the perpetrator were not released.

Police said the grandson has been charged with rape and will appear in court. The grandmother was admitted to a local hospital following the incident.

"As a result of injuries sustained during the ordeal, the elderly woman was admitted at Bongani Hospital," police spokesperson Brig Motantsi Makhele said, according to Times Live.

Maj-Gen. Solly Lesia, acting provincial commissioner of police in the area, reacted to news of the incident by calling for people to take care of and protect elderly members of their communities.

"It is shocking to learn about this act by someone close to the victim," Lesia said. "The arrest of the perpetrator will ensure that he has his day in court."

A similar incident occurred two months ago in the city of Durban when a 39-year-old Limpopo province man was sentenced to life in prison for raping a 75-year-old grandmother in 2019.

Solly Ntlwane, of the town of Mecklenburg in Limpopo, was found guilty by the Burgersfort Regional Court of raping the elderly woman five times after he was given a place to sleep by the victim, who was reportedly an acquaintance of Ntlwane's father.

Ntlwane was arrested when the victim told neighbors of the incident the following morning.