Thanks to the quick thinking of a Ballito woman, a missing 11-year-old Gauteng girl was rescued from her abductor at the Odyssey Shopping Mall last week.

The girl – who cannot be identified because she is a minor – had gone missing from her school in Vereeniging the week prior, with her details circulated on various platforms, including via Missing Children South Africa and the Pink Ladies initiative.

Recognising the girl from posted photos, the woman spotted her walking up Leonora Drive with a man believed to be in his 40s.

She called out to the man and followed them to the mall where the man tried to hide.

“Mall security were notified and they quickly responded. The man was apprehended and later taken into custody by Umhlali SAPS while the girl was kept safe,” said Odyssey Mall management.

“We appreciate the swift reaction of mall security and to all security companies that responded. All credit must go to the woman who acted quickly, without whom the girl would not have been saved.”

It is understood that the girl did not look frightened by the man and it is believed to be a case of child grooming.

“We can confirm that the man was arrested and handed over to the investigating station where he has been charged with kidnapping. The girl has been safely returned to her family,” said Umhlali police spokesperson, captain Vinny Pillay.