Much-needed donations and equipment were stolen during a break-in at GRIP (Greater Rape Intervention Project) on Thursday, November 20.

According to the information received, one suspect was arrested. GRIP’s CEO, Tarryn Lokotsch, told Lowvelder that they think the suspects broke in between 01:00 and 03:00. She said they broke the main entrance door to gain access into the building.

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Lokotsch said they took survivor care packs, laptop chargers, phone chargers, and cleaning materials.

“These are things that we could notice at the time. Looking at the state of the office, it appears as if they had enough time to pack things into bags and managed to take most of the care packs we had in the office,” she explained.

The organisation supports victims of gender-based violence throughout their journey, providing assistance at hospitals, police stations, and in court, as well as conducting follow-up checks. GRIP depends on donations to render these essential services.

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Lokotsch said it has been a challenging year for the organisation, as they have lost a lot of funds. She said that after the robbery, they will need assistance to recover what was stolen.

If you would like to assist GRIP, you can contact them on 083 310 1321.

The Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, was contacted for further information, however, Lowvelder had not received feedback at the time of publishing.