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A 15-year-old girl that was missing from home for days has died after allegedly being raped by two men.
Zenizole Vena left her home in Motherwell to attend a school event in Malabar on September 17 but didn't return home. She was also never reported missing.
On Wednesday, September 21, at approximately 06:30, a 58-year-old woman found Zenizole on the street. The teenager appeared to be sick and was crying.
Police spokesperson, Col. Priscilla Naidu, said it is alleged that Zenizole was raped by two men known to her.
"The woman took her to the clinic who referred them to the police station. At about 08:05, the woman and another person brought Ms Vena to SAPS Motherwell. The teenager was crying and appeared to be having an epileptic seizure and was vomitting. An ambulance was immediately summoned to attend to her," Naidu explained.
However, whilst waiting on the ambulance, she suffered further alleged epileptic seizures. When the ambulance arrived, Zenizole had already died.
Police are investigating an inquest and a rape case and are awaiting a postmortem report. Toxicology specimens were taken and will be sent to the forensic laboratory for analysis.
"No arrest has been made as yet in relation to the alleged rape and the investigation is continuing," Naidu said.
Provincial police commissioner, Lt. Gen. Nomthetheleli Mene, expressed her sadness and deep concern surrounding Zenizole's death.
Mene stated that when children or any person failed to return home as expected and may be deemed missing, it must be reported to police immediately.
"There is no waiting period to report a person missing. Children are vulnerable and easily influenced, therefore, as responsible adults, everything must be done to protect them from becoming victims of crime. It is a sad reality that in many of our Gender-Based Violence cases, the perpetrators are known to the victims," she said.
