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The suspect allegedly raped and hit the woman on her head with a hammer, leaving her bleeding profusely.
Picture: Saps
Police in the Free State are seeking information that could lead them to a suspect who raped and hammered a 60-year-old woman at her Bothaville home on Saturday.
The Welkom Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) is investigating a rape case following the gruesome attack that left the woman hospitalised.
Woman found bleeding from the head
Regional police spokesperson Sergeant Palesa Thabana said Bothaville police attended to a rape complaint at around 12.15pm on 26 July, where they found the woman bleeding profusely from the head.
“It is alleged that on the [said] date, the victim had just entered her house when she was accosted by an unknown African male who allegedly hit her three times on the head with a hammer before he allegedly raped her,” Thabana said in a statement on Monday.
The woman, who was allegedly struck three times, sustained severe injuries to the head and was taken to a local hospital.
However, she was subsequently transferred to another hospital in Welkom due to the severity of her injuries.
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Investigations continue
No arrests have been made yet, but police confiscated a hammer suspected to have been used in the assault.
“Police are urging anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspect to contact Warrant Officer Anje Tait of the Welkom [FSC] on 083 279 3213, or Crime Stop 08600 10111 or, alternatively, an anonymous tip-off may be sent through the MySAPS App.
More than 180 suspects arrested for rape in one week
The incident comes just one day after the South African Police Service announced that 183 suspects were arrested for rape across the country over the past week.
Out of the 183 suspects arrested, 67 were wanted individuals who were tracked down in different parts of the country.
Police spokesperson, Amanda van Wyk, said this is one of the operations that are aimed at intensifying the police’s efforts in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide.
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