HELAO NAFIDI: A 12-year-old boy has been taken into custody for allegedly raping an eight-year-old girl on multiple occasions in Helao Nafidi, located in Namibia’s Ohangwena Region. The incidents reportedly took place between August and October 2024, when the young girl was left to stay at a neighbor’s house in the Omafo location while her mother worked night shifts.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Deputy Commissioner Melanie Mburuu, the Ohangwena Crime Investigations Coordinator, disclosed that the girl was frequently brought to the suspect’s home to spend the night, as there was insufficient space at the neighbor’s house. It was during these nights, when the boy and girl were advised to share a room, that the alleged assaults occurred. The boy’s grandmother reportedly advised this sleeping arrangement, unaware of the alleged misconduct.

Deputy Commissioner Mburuu stated that the accused and the victim are not related. The boy has been released on a warning into the care of his mother, who has been inst
ructed to ensure his appearance at the Ohangwena Magistrate’s Court on Friday. Police investigations into the matter are ongoing.