A THREE-YEAR-OLD toddler who was raped in Ngqamakwe near Butterworth, allegedly by three boys aged between five and seven, was apparently left in the care of another child without adult supervision.

Police Captain Jackson Manatha said the mother had left her daughter with a neighbour while she attended a funeral on Sunday. On her return, she was told the girl had been raped.

“It seems as if there was another boy, aged 10. who told the three younger ones to rape the little girl. Medical evidence shows that the girl did sustain physical injuries from the rape. I don’t think any of the children received counselling.”

The three boys had been arrested but later released into the custody of their parents. He could not confirm if they would be charged, but said they were too young to be locked up.

Clinical psychologist Konrad van Staden said it was necessary for both victim and perpetrators to receive trauma counselling to prevent the incident affecting them later in life.

“The little girl needs to be counselled as soon as possible to contextualise the event for her, because the feeling of being unsafe and lack of security in her life needs to be addressed.”

“This all is as a result of strong dysfunctional families"