‘I was raped in cop shop toilets’

A Soshanguve woman saw nothing wrong with befriending who she thought was a police officer in a taxi, who lured her to the Pretoria central police station on Friday, only to allegedly rape her in the toilets.

The 25-year-old, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of being victimised, told The Citizen yesterday that she met the man on Friday when he got on a taxi headed to the CBD.

The woman was accompanying her friends to the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court when they befriended the man, who wore a South African Police Service golf shirt, when he started seeking relationship advice in the taxi.

“When it was time for us to get off the taxi, he suggested I get off with him, and that he walk me to the court since it was close the police station. He seemed friendly and wasn’t hitting on me so I told the people I was with that I would meet them at the court,” she said.

However, the man lured the young woman to the police station when he told her he needed to leave his jacket in the locker rooms. Shortly after arriving at the police station, she said the man suddenly said he wanted to show her something.

“He led me to the ladies’ toilets and as soon as we walked in, he grabbed my breasts. He pushed me into one of the cubicles. He insisted he wanted to talk to me. I asked him what he wanted. I was wearing a short dress and he proceeded to rape me.”

“I heard people coming in and out of the toilets but I couldn’t even scream. How could I ask for help since this was being done by a police officer in a police station?” said the woman.

After the ordeal, the man walked his victim to the court and bought food for her friends.

“He kept telling me he loved me and wanted to marry me. I asked him what kind of love is this since he just raped me,” she said.

The alleged rapist was arrested while on duty that day when his victim opened a case of rape after confiding in a court official.

“I felt so alone. I didn’t know who to turn to. I told one of the women who works at the court and she helped me open a case. I want justice to be done. I want to see this man behind bars. What if he does this to other women?” she said.

The woman says she continues to get threats from her rapist’s colleagues, who apparently want to locate her.

“They’ve been asking me why I ratted on their colleague. I am so scared. The man who raped me kept telling me how aggressive he is. What if he kills me?” she asked.

Police spokesperson Captain Bonginkosi Mufamadi told The Citizen the 22-year-old man was not a police officer but a reservist.

“A rape case has been opened and is under investigation. The man is not a police officer but a community patroller,” said Mufamadi.

Last year, a 44-year-old woman was allegedly gang raped by men dressed in Johannesburg metro police uniforms after they pulled her over in Fairland.

After requesting her driver’s licence, the men allegedly dragged the woman out of her car into a veld and proceeded to rape her.

Anti-rape organisation Lifeline Pretoria said rape victims should rather turn to a trusted organisation should they fear being victimised, even if the perpetrator was a law enforcement officer.

LifeLine counsellor Rozanne Ashworth told The Citizen such organisations place victims in safehouses and ensure the case reaches prosecution.

“They need to insist on reporting the matter to the station commander. Even if they report to the police and nothing is done, they can turn to organisations like LifeLine where we will give them shelter, support and counselling and will escort them to court if they can’t face their perpetrator.”

– rorisangk@citizen.co.za

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