Two boys rape 4 and 12-year-old little girls
Kutlwano Police in Francistown are investigating a case in which two girls were raped in separate incidents.
Kutlwano Police Assignment Superintendent, Alice Oabile said in one incident they received a report on Saturday at 9pm that a 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 17-year-old boy.
According to Oabile, the parents of the victims reported the matter, stating that the suspect is their neighbour.
In another incident, Oabile said an 18-year-old boy was arrested in connection with raping a four (4)-year-old girl this past Sunday.
Oabile said it appears that the victim's mother had gone to work and the child was left with a male relative, who reportedly went to a nearby clinic, leaving the child unattended.
According to Oabile, when the victim's mother arrived in the evening, she found the child sleeping and she woke her up and while bathing her, the child complained of pain in her private parts.
Oabile is disheartened that in one weekend, her station received such reports. She urged parents to be cautious and vigilant with people their minor children interact with.
She added that parents should educate their teenage children about the dangers of sexual relationships as this may destroy their future.
She said one tactic parents could employ is to befriend their children, so that they open up to them concerning their challenges.
Meanwhile, Oabile said in a separate incident, a nine-year-old boy drowned in Tati River in Francistown while playing with other children between the ages of nine and 12. She highlighted that the deceased's mother started looking for her child around 7:30pm and he was discovered at the river.
A social worker at Childline Botswana, Onkgopotse Thobega called for making children's wellbeing a priority at all costs.
"Children's cases need specialised professionals, and that will also speed up reaction for children to find justice," Thobega said.