South African women demand longer sentences for sex crimes after 7-year-old girl 'raped' in restaurant

Police say a 20-year-old man allegedly followed her into women’s toilet before grabbing her and raping her in men’s restroom

The saga has sparked anger in the country which has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world (AFP/Getty )

South Africans have voiced outrage after a seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped in a popular family restaurant.

A 20-year-old man allegedly followed the young girl into the women’s toilet before grabbing her and raping her in the men’s restroom, according to police.

Her mother notified customers at the restaurant after hearing voices from the bathroom when she went searching for her daughter, according to a local media report.

The suspect was arrested at the scene of the incident – which took place on Saturday in Pretoria – and charged with rape and possessing drugs. He has been remanded in custody and has not yet been asked to plead.

The saga has sparked anger in the country that has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in in the world. It follows other high-profile reports of violence against women in recent months.

In a separate incident this week, a fake doctor allegedly raped a 17-year-old girl at a hospital in the Eastern Cape province hours after she gave birth.

"On Tuesday‚ a man came posing as a doctor. He asked her how she was doing following the birthing experience," police spokesman Captain Dineo Koena said.

"She complained of heavy bleeding and he said he would check up on her. He then ordered her to undress and then he raped her”.

A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the alleged attack, local media reported.

According to government statistics, rape and other types of sexual violence against women are prevalent in South Africa.

According to estimates released in June by the national statistic service of South Africa, 138 out of every 100,000 women in the country were raped in 2016 and 2017.

“This figure is among the highest in the world. For this reason, some have labelled South Africa the 'rape capital of the world,'” it said.

The police recorded 40,035 rapes in the 12 months leading to 31 March, an average of 110 each day, according to independent fact-checking organisation Africa Check.

This marks a small increase on the previous year which saw 39,828 recorded rapes.

Most media outlets reported on the two stories – with popular radio talk show host Eusebius McKaiser condemning the situation in the country and saying: "South Africa is no country for children".

South African women incensed by the saga have used social media to urge the government to lengthen the sentences for rape and other forms of sexual violence.

"The justice system in South Africa is too lenient towards inhuman crimes. Rape, trafficking, child abuse, and murders should be taken with greater punishment," Twitter user Evelyn Lobelo wrote.

"You can get raped anywhere in South Africa. Hospital, work, in your own home, in a taxi/Uber/Taxify, school etc etc etc... You just hope and pray it doesn't happen to you. Women fear for their lives every day in SA. Because even the men we trust can't act right," Tandolwethu Zizipho Dingana tweeted.