THE star athlete from Kempton Park who was found late Saturday night after being abducted at an athletics meeting earlier that afternoon, is currently receiving counselling to process this shocking experience.
Tiaan Jacobs (19), a former learner of Hoërskool Kempton Park, disappeared without a trace at Herman Immelman Stadium in Germiston when he went outside to warm up for his race at the Gauteng championships.
Tiaan was supposed to compete in the 800m men’s U/23 race at 2pm. He still holds the SA record in this item for boys U/15.
Tiaan was abducted by three men close to the stadium, allegedly Nigerians, in an Audi after they drugged him by putting a cloth over his mouth. A bag was also pulled over his head.
Christo Jacobs, his father, told Express on Monday that his son was taken to a house and held in a room with a young woman that could not speak English.
Tiaan told his father he started to get frustrated and the young woman braided his hair to keep him calm. Tiaan still had the three braids in his hair on Monday and didn’t want to take it out.
At one point the men spoke very loud to Tiaan and one of the other men allegedly said: “Don’t hurt this boy, we need him.”
Jacobs senior thinks the men realised they had abducted the wrong person. They took Tiaan to the car again and drove a long distance before they threw him out of the car in a field near Parktown.
Tiaan stumbled into a security guard and the owner of the building contacted his parents.
“Paramedics went with to collect Tiaan and they found his pupils were huge but he was not hurt.
“We thank the Lord that He saved our son’s life. Everything is very strange to us and Tiaan is receiving counselling, but, we are forever thankful that we have our son back after this traumatising experience,” said Jacobs senior.
He said the case was still being investigated and the police could not reveal more information at this stage.
