A witness says the suspect was sitting alone while he was watching the girl in the play area, and when the girl went to the bathroom he followed her.
A six-year-old girl was allegedly raped in the restroom of a popular restaurant in Pretoria on Saturday.
According to a witness who wished to remain anonymous, the man was “stalking his prey” while she was playing in the children’s area of Dros restaurant in Silverton.
The witness claimed the man was sitting alone in the smoking section, where he asked for a glass of water, saying he was waiting for a friend.
Shortly afterwards, the man moved nearer to the restaurant’s play area and started watching the girl, who was on her own.
Moments later, the child went to the bathroom and the man followed, the witness said.
“He allegedly snatched her from the female rest room, blocked her mouth and took her to the men’s rest room where he raped her.”
The child’s mother, who is apparently a regular at the Dros, noticed that her child had gone.
“We asked the child-minder where the child was and she said she had gone to the toilet.
“Her mother went to the rest room but did not find her child. She heard a noise in the men’s rest room and was suspicious.
“She tried to open the door but it was blocked,” said the witness.
The mother caused a commotion and the alleged rapist eventually opened the door.
“He was completely naked and so was the child, the witness said. “The child was bleeding from the groin.
“When some of the male customers saw this, they started assaulting the man.
“One of the managers locked the rest room door to protect the guy from mob justice.
“The child was rescued and police were called.
“There was a trail of blood in the rest room.”
Yesterday, Dros management refused to comment and hung up abruptly. On the second attempt, they asked that enquiries be made to Dros head office today.
Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini confirmed that a rape charge had been opened and the suspect was in custody.
By: The Citizen
