A relative of one of the two Ceres children who were raped says their lives will never be the same again.
|||Cape Town - A relative of one of the two Ceres children who were raped last weekend said their lives would never be the same again.
A suspect is still at large.
The relative, who is looking after the seven-year-old boy and his mother, said on Wednesday that the child had nightmares, cried a lot and ran away whenever adults try to interact with him.
“When a car stops outside and people get out, he runs away to avoid them.”
The relative said the boy had been a friendly and affectionate child before he and a four-month-old girl were raped by a man early on Saturday.
After the attack, the boy found his way home with the baby girl and alerted his parents to what had happened.
The relative said the boy’s mother, who had been staying with her since the attack, was “too scared” to go home with her son.
The mother did not feel safe since it appeared that the alleged rapist gained entry to their home through a window before snatching the children and taking them about 100m from the house to rape them.
The police had been helpful in arranging counselling for the boy, she said, but both the mother and boy remained severely traumatised and the boy had nightmares.
“My heart is also very sore about what happened,” the relative said.
After the attack, the baby girl was taken to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital where she has had two reconstructive operations.
Red Cross Children’s Hospital spokeswoman Lauren O’Connor-May said she was in a stable condition.
”Her parents are with her, but will not do any interviews or speak to any media,” said O’Connor-May.
A 32-year-old man who was arrested on Monday in connection with the two rapes has been released.
The police are now searching for a second suspect, and an identikit of him, compiled with the help of a witness, has been released.
Police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Andre Traut said the first man could not be linked to the crime.
“Our search for the suspect continues.”
neo.maditla@inl.co.za
Cape Argus