After two unsettling cases of kidnapping and rape, Free State Police Commissioner Baile Motswenyane has issued a strong warning to women.
Police in Free State have revealed that in the first incident, a 19-year-old college student was accosted on Christoliet Street, Jan Cilliers Park, as she made her way to school.
An unknown man driving a grey Mazda 3 approached her, claiming his child was missing, and the kidnappers matched her description.
Allegedly demanding a R50 000 ransom, he convinced her to enter the vehicle, drove her near Masimong mine, where he raped her, and provided her with R50 to take a taxi home.
The suspect is described as slender, tall, light-skinned, with a missing front tooth and a chest scar. He wore a dark blue suit and spoke Sesotho.
In a separate incident on November 9, around 6.20pm, a girl walking home from Sylvania Spar in Jan Cilliers Park accepted a lift from a white Mahindra bakkie driven by a white male.
During the journey towards the Traffic Department, the driver assaulted her. Fortunately, she managed to escape when reaching her residence and reported the incident, leading to a rape case investigation.
“We urge girls to refrain from entering vehicles driven by strangers. If feeling threatened, scream for help to attract passers-by attention. Two kidnapping and rape cases are under investigation,” said Motswenyane.
The Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za