JOHANNESBURG – In a shocking story that startled Soweto, a 17-year-old mother and her 30-year-old boyfriend appeared in the Protea Magistrate’s Court on charges of r_ape and murder.

The two suspects were nabbed on Tuesday after the two-year-old baby died of injuries sustained during an alleged r_ape in Diepkloof last week.

Reports say, the baby was repeatedly beaten and  r_aped by her mother’s boyfriend.

It is understood that the 17 year old mother had not reported the assault days after it happened until a medical practitioner, who had examined the child, called the police.

The police said an initial case of assault with intention to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), was changed to murder.

Speaking to Gambakwe Media, police spokeswoman, Mathapelo Peters said the boyfriend did not deserve to walk the streets of South Africa:

“Police were able to establish that the mother of the deceased toddler had left her daughter in the care of her boyfriend, only to find the child had serious injuries to her face. She took the child to nearby Baragwanath Hospital for medical attention. The outcome of the medical examination found that the child had been penetrated and that is when the doctor called the police.”

Peters said there is no doubt that the mother would also face charges for allegedly failing to report previous cases.