Cape Town, Feb 8 (IANS): The South African government and the civil society have condemned the rape and mutilation of a teenage girl, an incident that has sent shockwaves across the country.

Police found the body of Anene Booysen, 17, who was gang raped and mutilated in an industrial area of Bredasdorp in the Western Cape Saturday morning, reported Xinhua.

This was one of the worst rape cases in the country beset by rising crimes targeted at teenage girls and women in the past recent years.

"We want to express our outrage and shock. We commend the police who acted promptly and arrested the (suspects). We will not rest until all the criminals are arrested," said Minister for Women, Children and People with Disabilities Lulu Xingwana Thursday.

Police arrested two suspects in connection with the crime. Booysen managed to identify one of her alleged attackers before she died Saturday evening.

The suspects would be sentenced according to law, Xingwana said. "Through sentencing, we want to ensure this serves as a deterrent for future would-be rapist," she said.

"We want to work with everyone, including NGOs, to end the scourge of abuse against women and children. We, as government, have taken a decision that crimes against women and children are a priority."

Deputy Minister of Police Maggie Sotyu also vowed to deal with those involved in these kinds of crimes.

Also Thursday, the South African Municipal Workers' Union (SAMWU) said the latest shocking gang rape "has demanded that we all stop and think about what type of society we are developing".

According to the statistics announced by the minister of police last year, the combined figures of all sexual offences, including rape and indecent assault, indicate an upward trend of 2.1 percent in 2010-11 from 2009-10.

Cases of murder of women increased by 5.6 percent and sexual offences against children increased by 2.6 percent during this period.