South African police have charged a teenager with the murder of a man who allegedly tried to rape her.
Police say the 17-year-old fatally stabbed a 21-year-old man who tried to rape her Sunday morning in a village in South Africa’s northern Limpopo province, according to the BBC.
Speaking on the incident, Police Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said, “She was on her way to a local tavern when she was allegedly attacked by the deceased and fought back.
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“[He] wanted to rape her, but she fought back, overpowered him, disarmed him of his knife, and stabbed him to death.”
A short while later, the girl handed herself over to police.
“She was visibly distraught when she arrived at the police station and will receive the necessary care given in such cases,” Colonel Ngoepe said.
On a routine patrol, police discovered the man’s body with multiple stab wounds on a tarred road.
With more than 40,000 rape cases reported every year, South Africa is often referred to as “the rape capital of the world.” Activists, however, say the figures may only represent a fraction of the actual attacks as many cases often go unreported.
On Monday, the teenager — who cannot be named because of her status as a minor under South African law — appeared before Lenyenye magistrates court but she was not asked to plead and her case was remanded.
The case resumes on June 14th, and the 17-year-old is expected to tell the court that she acted in self-defense.
Police say she will be assigned a social worker and possibly a trauma counselor to assist with the case.
The murder charge against the teenager comes after the gruesome murder of South African model and actress Karabo Mokoena by her boyfriend, which sparked national outrage and served to reignite the conversation about the country’s culture of violence against women.
