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Johannesburg — The son of an elderly rape victim has been arrested for allegedly setting alight the house of his mother’s alleged perpetrator, KwaZulu-Natal police said yesterday.

Around 1600hrs on Friday, the 68-year-old mother was sleeping at her house in the Snathing area outside Pietermaritzburg when the man entered her home, spokesperson Major Thulani Zwane said. The man allegedly raped and assaulted the woman, before fleeing the scene.

“When the son of the rape victim heard about the incident, he went to look for the suspect,” he said. “He arrived at the suspect’s house at Snathing area but the suspect wasn’t at home and the son allegedly set the suspect’s house alight.”

A case of arson was opened and the son later arrested.

Police also went in search of the alleged rapist, 28, and early Sunday morning the man was traced to the New Hanover area where he was arrested.

The rape victim’s son was expected to appear in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court later yesterday, while the alleged rapist would appear in the same court today.

KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni praised police for arresting the 28-year-old man and warned citizens to not take the law into their own hands, as they would face the full might of the law. — AFP