EDITOR – The Highway Mail ran story about a young woman who made the rounds on foot in the Hillcrest area. Yesterday, my husband and I had an encounter with this young woman when she rang our gate intercom.
She claimed that she is 14 years old and had recently lost her mother. Her father passed away several years ago. Her older brother has apparently made inappropriate comments to her and some advances of a sexual nature. She said she was afraid to go home. My husband and I felt that we should at least listen to her story and give her the benefit of the doubt.
I phoned one of the local schools to speak to a counsellor or social worker to gain the best advice on how to handle the situation. When the school counsellor returned my call, she confirmed that this story was exactly the same as the encounter she had with the same young woman a week ago. All of the information was exactly the same, including the green uniform that she wears. The young girl is asking for money for the taxi fare to Bulwer, where she claims to have sister who has also been abused by the older brother. The taxi fare, she says, is in the region of R500.
The school counsellor informed me that there seems to be an older man making her do these ‘rounds’ in the Hillcrest Park vicinity. She tells the same story in the hopes to gain sympathy and money.
We gave her some food and took her to the taxi rank in Kloof. She then asked for R32 for the taxi fare back to “Gogo” in Inanda.
I caution the public to be aware that this is a scam and one should not hand out money to this young woman.
Kari Harris
Hillcrest
