Man, 28, who allegedly impregnated 13-year-old to apply for bail in January

The Seshego magistrate’s court has postponed the matter of a 28-year-old man who is facing charges of statuary rape and sexual grooming of a minor. 

The man allegedly impregnated a 13-year-old girl in Seshego township in Polokwane, Limpopo. 

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said the case has been postponed to January 8 for bail application and further investigations. The docket will be forwarded to the director of public prosecutions for directives. 

The victim and the suspect allegedly met at a shopping complex in Seshego in January and began communicating, until they became intimate in May.

“The minor only revealed the incident to her aunt after experiencing complications, and later in November medical tests confirmed she was eight months’ pregnant, ultimately giving birth to a baby boy on Christmas Day,” she said.

The police were informed about the incident and the suspect was arrested by the Seshego family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit on December 26.

According to recent statistics, more than 122,000 teenagers gave birth in the past financial year. Of these, 2,716 were girls aged 10 to 14.

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