Swift action sees kidnapped Vereeniging girl rescued in Ballito
A local woman recognised the girl as they used to live in the same town.
Thanks to the quick thinking of a Sheffield woman, a missing 11-year-old Gauteng girl was rescued from her abductor at the Odyssey Shopping Mall two weeks ago.
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.
On Friday, August 11, the Sheffield woman saw the girl walking with a man in his 40s on Leonora Drive at around 5.30pm.
She recognised the girl from her past as they had previously lived near each other in Mandeni.
She called out to the man and followed them to the mall where the man tried to hide.
Along with two men who assisted her, the woman tracked down the abductor in the mall before waiting for security and police to arrive.
“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 Saps spokesperson, captain Vinny Pillay.
- This story has been updated for accuracy after the woman in the story contacted the Courier. She asked to remain anonymous.
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