AfriForum wants explanation from NPA, SAPS for decision to drop rape case of Matatiele girl
This follows the NPA’s announcement earlier this week that no one would be prosecuted due to insufficient evidence.
FILE: On Saturday, 5 April 2025, Matatiele residents and various civil organisations marched to the police station to hand over a petition demanding justice for the children who've been raped in the area. Picture: Kayleen Morgan/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - AfriForum is demanding a full explanation from the police and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) over the decision to drop the rape case involving a seven-year-old girl in Matatiele, Eastern Cape.
This follows the NPA’s announcement earlier this week that no one would be prosecuted due to insufficient evidence.
The alleged assault, believed to have happened on school grounds in October last year, sparked national outrage, triggering protests and widespread calls for justice.
AfriForum said it’s crucial to clear the names of those previously implicated, including the principal of Bergview Primary School.
The organisation’s Barry Bateman criticised the way the case was handled, saying police may have been influenced by public pressure and social media...
"Police detectives should be guided by evidence, not public opinion, because it is the evidence that must persuade a court of law and bring justice to victims of crime, not the irrelevant utterances of anonymous social media detectives.”