South Africa police hunt rapist with bitten penis

South African hospitals are on the alert for a man with an injured penis after a pregnant woman managed to bite her rapist's genitals as he assaulted her in front of her child.

The woman was sexually assaulted after accepting a lift from two men in Mpumalanga province as she tried to reach a clinic with her child, five.

Instead she was driven into the bushes and raped at knifepoint, police say.

They now hope his injuries will mean the man can be brought to justice.

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"We appeal to all health institutions that should they found a man with an injured private part, they must as soon as possible contact Constable Solly Mabuza," Mpumalanga police said in a statement.

The men, the statement says, were driving a white Toyota Tazz near the town of White River. They initially threatened the woman, who is three months pregnant, at gunpoint, warning her not to scream.

After she bit her attacker, he fled and was "currently not found", the statement explained.

Rape and sexual assault remain a large problem in South Africa. According to Africa Check, more than 109 rapes were reported each day on average during 2016/17 - totalling 39,828 incidents.

However, the number had decreased slightly from the year before, when 41,503 rapes were recorded.