DCS declines to confirm whether man accused of raping Hanover Park girl (9) was out on parole

CAPE TOWN - The Department of Correctional Services has declined to confirm whether a man accused of raping a nine-year-old girl in Hanover Park was out on parole.

The 51-year-old was taken into custody on Tuesday after police were forced to disperse a crowd that demanded he be released so the community could deal with him.

The case has been pushed to Friday due to new developments, but the details have not been divulged.

Police, however, indicated that more charges could be added.

The community claims the suspect is a convicted rapist, who was recently paroled, but this has not been confirmed by authorities.

Neighbours also said that he was known to them, although they were not aware that he had returned to the area.

Geraldine Taylor was among those gathered at court.

"People are very, very upset. Emotions are running high. Unfortunately, we come from a very impoverished community, therefore we are not here in our masses."

Another woman, who was involved in the search for the nine-year-old girl, said that her family raised the alarm when she failed to return from Muslim school on Tuesday afternoon.

She said that using video footage pulled from neighbours' home security cameras, police traced the child to the suspect's house several hours later.