Cape Town - Government has cautioned the public to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands after the rape of a 7-year-old girl at a Dros restaurant in Pretoria.
On Thursday night, the South African government tweeted an appeal for the public to refrain from circulating a graphic video purportedly showing the child's alleged attacker being violently confronted at the restaurant. The bleeding man can be heard protesting his innocence and insisting that he was just using the toilet.
The government went on to say that it was outraged by the incident and that sharing the video was insensitive to the child and could impact negatively on the prosecution of her attacker.
Government has noted a disturbing video circulating on social media involving the alleged rape of a child. We appeal to the public to remain calm and allow the law to take its course. The perpetrator has been remanded in custody and will appear in court on 2 October. #Dros #GBV
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) September 27, 2018
Government has noted a disturbing video circulating on social media involving the alleged rape of a child. People should refrain from circulating the video as it is insensitive to the child and her family and could jeopardize the legal processes. #GBV #Dros
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) September 27, 2018
The incident, which has shocked people across South Africa, took place in the toilet of the Dros restaurant in Silverton last Saturday.
The man allegedly preyed on the girl and later followed her to the toilet, where he raped her.
The 20-year-old man made a brief appearance in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on a charge of rape.
The matter was postponed to October 2 for further investigation and the accused will remain in custody.
Earlier on Thursday, members of #NotInMyName SA campaign visited the restaurant and vowed to shut it down if management failed to deliver on promises made to the victim's family, which included covering medical costs for the little girl.
* In our initial stories we reported that the girl was 6 years old. The Pretoria News has since confirmed that she is in fact 7.