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A 27-year-old man, Mothobi Moagi, has been arrested over the alleged r@pe and heinous murder of his girlfriend's 8-year-old daughter in South Africa.

The suspect appeared in Rustenburg Magistrates Court on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.

Police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda Funani said the 27-year-old mother reportedly left her two girls, ages four and eight, with her lover on Saturday night, August 31, 2024, at her home in Ikageng village, Boitekong, near Rustenburg.

“She allegedly came back in the early hours of Sunday morning, September 1. According to information, she knocked on the door, but there was no response. She then checked and found that one of the windows was broken,” Funani said in a statement on Wednesday.

Police said when she entered the house, she discovered her eight-year-old daughter's lifeless body on the sofa.

“It is suspected that the little girl might have been strangled after being r@ped. The mother called the neighbours and the police were alerted about the incident.

“The boyfriend, who was not in the house when the woman came back in the morning, was taken in for questioning on Sunday morning and ultimately charged with r@pe and murder.”

Moagi made his initial court appearance on Tuesday and the matter was postponed to Tuesday, September 10 for a formal bail application.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, denounced the tragedy, saying it might have been avoided and that the youngster was apparently slain by someone who was meant to safeguard her.

He directed Boitekong detectives to see that justice was administered.