One of South Africa’s most senior police officers, Shadrack Sibiya, has been charged with raping an 18-year-old woman and grooming a 16-year-old girl. Mr Sibiya, a suspended deputy national police commissioner, was arrested on Monday.
He is facing charges of rape, people trafficking, promoting the sexual grooming of a child, and two counts of grooming a child. The alleged rape of the 18-year-old woman reportedly occurred at a Johannesburg hotel in May, while the alleged grooming of the 16-year-old girl took place via WhatsApp between 20 July and 3 August.
Mr Sibiya appeared in a Johannesburg court on Tuesday and was subsequently taken to prison in Pretoria. A bail hearing is scheduled for 29 September, as prosecutors argued he posed an escape risk. He did not enter a plea, with his lawyer stating more time was needed for consultation.
Acting national police commissioner Puleng Dimpane stated that police officers are entrusted with protecting women and children and cannot be implicated in conduct that undermines this responsibility. Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia condemned the alleged conduct, adding that allegations of sexual offences against police members must be investigated without fear or favour.