Mysterious return of missing girls
DIEPSLOOT – Two 17-year-old girls from Centurion caused an uproar on social media after they were reported missing and the car they were travelling in was found abandoned in Diepsloot a few hours later.
The girls were allegedly going from their home in Centurion to a nearby shopping centre on 4 May in a white Mercedes when they went missing. A search party was formed by online community initiative Eblockwatch after being approached by the missing girls’ family.
The search party continued to search throughout the night and the Mercedes was eventually found abandoned north of Diepsloot, but there was no sign of the missing girls.
Not long after the car was found, the following was tweeted:
Speculation on what happened to the girls then became rife on social media, with some people asking how their parents could allow them to drive illegally and whether they were hijacked, or if something more sinister had taken place. Many others, however, just prayed for their safe return.
The girls did get home, but the details regarding their disappearance and how they were found remain unclear, although an official statement from the family has been requested.
Spokespeople from both Diepsloot and Gauteng Provincial police stated that they were not aware of the incident.
Andre Snyman, chairperson of Eblockwatch, who headed the search party and was less than pleased with the results after he and the search party spent the night looking for the girls, only for them to be miraculously reunited with their family with no explanation.
“Firstly, these girls are under 18 and, legally, should not have been driving. Especially not without supervision and more so, not at night,” said Snyman.
“Secondly, there are many ways to stay aware of your family’s whereabouts and safety, like personal trackers and panic buttons which will alert you when something is wrong.
“I am not saying that this was a ‘cry wolf’ situation, but the next time something happens to these girls, will everyone still be so eager to help?”
Snyman stated that he felt compelled to help the family due to the numerous recent reports of women being attacked while driving alone in Johannesburg.
Do you think these girls or their parents should be penalised for driving without a licence? Share your thoughts in the comments section below
