THE 84-year-old gogo only managed to escape her 21-year-old rap_ist when he fell asleep.

It took all her strength and courage to crawl to her front gate, seeking help.

HER RAPIST WAS FOUND NAKED ON HER BED, ASLEEP WITH A CAN OF BOOZE AT HIS SIDE!

The young man had gained entry to gogo’s house at a village in KZN, while she was asleep.

The victim was alone as her daughter did not return home on Saturday night, 1 October and the man repeatedly rap_ed her.

Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza said the suspect allegedly overpowered the gogo.

The victim only managed to escape after the attacker had rap_ed her several times, and then fell asleep.

She then crawled down to her front gate to seek help.

“The neighbour was woken up by her barking dogs. He went to look and saw the gogo, who told him there was a man in her house,” Khoza said.

When the neighbours went into the house, they found the perpetrator sleeping nak_ed, with his clothes on the floor and a can of alcohol next to him.

Khoza said many cruel people often took advantage of senior citizens.

“Elderly, defenceless persons live in fear as they are attacked and rap_ed while in their own homes. We find solace in that the evil criminal was found at the crime scene,” she said.

Khoza added that the law must show no mercy to the suspect, who had shown no mercy to the gogo.

She criticised the perpetrator’s family, who attempted to have the matter swept under the carpet by trying to pay inhlawulo (fine or damages) to the victim.

“The fact that there are people who even suggest paying inhlawulo shows the extent of how bad our society has become.

“There is no better punishment for a person who rap_es than sending him to prison.”

A team of social workers were dispatched to provide psychosocial support to the victim and her family for trauma debriefing and containment.

Lieutenant-colonel Nqobile Gwala confirmed that the Creighton police were investigating a case of rap_e.

— Daily