4-28-2009 South Africa:A man who lured an eight-year-old girl from a party and then raped her was beaten to death by an angry mob in Wyebank, near Kloof.
The man, whose identity is not known, had to be rescued from the mob who beat him to a pulp on Saturday evening.
He died soon after being taken to RK Khan Hospital.
It is believed the man, who is not from the area, isolated the victim from the crowd.
A suspicious witness, who had noticed the two slip away, allegedly caught the suspect raping the girl on a nearby sports field.
It is believed the man alerted residents, who then ganged up on and assaulted the suspect.
Pinetown police spokesperson Solomon Mbhele said police were made aware of the incident by an anonymous caller, who is suspected to have been with the mob.
"When we arrived at the scene, the suspect had been badly beaten by the residents and he was transported to hospital, where he died."
Mbhele said the dead man had not been identified and police were investigating the circumstances of his death.
"No arrests have been made at his point," Mbhele said.
Mbhele confirmed that the eight-year-old rape victim, who was from the area, was receiving medical support and ongoing psychological counselling.
Police are trying to trace the witness who spotted the two leaving the party and the caller who alerted the police.
Mbhele stressed that investigating a crime involving a mob was complex because people who were responsible for the murder first had to be identified.
"There has to be identification before any arrests can be made, which makes it very difficult because it hampers the investigations," he said.
After the mob attack, police issued a stern warning to communities who take the law into their own hands.
Provincial police spokesperson Vincent Mdunge said police would not tolerate acts of vigilantism which sometimes resulted in the death of the suspected criminal.
"Communities should understand the dynamics of what they engage in because you cannot resolve criminal issues by assaulting the suspect. In the eyes of the law, they too become criminally responsible," he stressed.
He also urged communities to let the law take its course and said he did not condone what happened to the suspect.
"This type of crime has to come to an end and communities should work hand in hand with the police. Apprehend the suspect and then alert the police," Mdunge said. ..News Source.. by Slindile Maluleke
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