A woman from Somerset West has shared a terrifying experience in which she was kidnapped on 17 January 2023, by two men and a woman and held for seven hours. During this time, one of the men raped her.
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The 37-year-old woman had an argument with her husband, whom she had been married to for just over a year. Her husband accused her of overdosing on pills and kicked her out of their home. She then walked the streets of Somerset West, trying to find a place to stay overnight.
The woman attempted to seek refuge at the local night shelter but was turned away because it was after hours. Left alone and scared with minimal battery life available on her phone, she walked towards the police station. While en route, a car carrying two men and a woman approached her. They stopped the car and forcibly pulled her inside by her hair.
The vehicle eventually stopped behind a railway line.
In a report by IOL, the woman states, “When we got to this place, the lady and one guy went out to get something while I remained behind with the other guy, who raped me on the railway line before the other two could return with drugs and drugged me.”
“They pulled me by my hair back to the car and they drove to a dodgy neighbourhood. Then we stopped at the La Grotto, a night club in Somerset West.”
According to the woman, she was pushed to the back of the club by the suspects and made to drink a beer against her will, with the instruction that she couldn’t leave. She also reported that they offered to arrange bed-and-breakfast accommodation for her on condition that she drank the beer.
At approximately 3am, the woman spotted a police vehicle outside and fled to it for safety. She has since been receiving care at a psychiatric clinic and is optimistic about her recovery going forward.
She added, “The police officers who rescued me told me that the club was known for trafficking women. As much as it was my husband’s fault, it was also the shelter’s fault for what happened to me. I was a woman in complete distress. I begged them to let me inside and was willing to sleep on the chair, but they refused,” reported IOL.
FC van Wyk, a spokesperson for the police said that a case of rape and abduction was reported and filed for investigation at Somerset West police station. The case has since been transferred to Khayelitsha FCS for further investigation.
According to Van Wyk, a 35-year-old man was taken into custody a day after the incident and presented in front of the Somerset West Magistrates’ Court on 20 January 2023.
The man is currently being held in custody for additional investigation. He is scheduled to appear in court once again on 9 March 2023.
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Picture: Unsplash