Reaction Unit South Africa has revealed that a 9-year-old girl from Ethekweni – KZN (location withheld) who has been missing on Monday afternoon but were able to find her.
According to RUSA, they received calls from the family of the missing girl at approx. 14:00 reporting that the child had used the outdoor bathroom and was not seen since. It is believed that the girl was kidnapped.
Reaction Officers arrived at the home & interviewed the stepfather (35) & the maternal grandmother (58) who were at the residence at the time of the disappearance.
The grandmother explained that she was in bed and had no knowledge of her granddaughter’s whereabouts.
Officers established that the child had stayed home from school due to an illness.
The stepfather who walked with the aid of crutches & her grandmother had unsuccessfully searched the area for two (2) hours before the RUSA Operations Center was contacted for help.
A team of Reaction Officers conducted an extensive search of the surrounding area & established that the toilet did not have a pit system.
The area was canvassed & no neighbours recalled seeing the child. Officers then walked the route & arrived at the primary school (name withheld).
Educators were interviewed & Officers were informed that the child was last seen on Friday (1/08/2025).
Consent was granted for the childs picture to be circulated on the RUSA Social Media platforms & within thirty (30) minutes four (4) calls were received from the public providing vague information anonymously.
Reaction Officers followed the leads & kept observation over a home several kilometres from the childs residence.
The nine (9) year old girl was located inside a home & positively identified. When a female Reaction Officer interviewed the child, she explained that her stepfather had raped her on several occasions & had sexually assaulted her since she was six (6) years old.
Earlier on Monday she was again sexually assaulted while her grandmother was in the bathroom & her mother (32) was at work.
She then informed her stepfather that she need to use the bathroom & fled the home. Her aunt (mother’s sister) took her in.
When Reaction Officers interviewed the family, they confirmed that the child made the allegations of rape & other forms of sexual assault three (3) years ago.
They decided not to seek assistance from Law Enforcement today blaming the slow progress on a previously registered criminal case.
The child informed the female Reaction Officer that her mother repeatedly forced her over the years to lie that she was never raped & assaulted by her stepfather.
This interview was captured on the Officers Body Cam.
The minor was transported to the South African Police Services (SAPS) & the investigation into the allegations will be conducted by a specialised unit.
