A 24-year-old mother of two is in ‘hot water’ after lying to her parents and involving the police in her lies.
The young woman, who resides in the Peacetown area, arrived home just before 10pm on Thursday, January 9, after having been away from home for five days. During that time, no one knew where she was. When her mother tried to contact her via cell-phone, her phone rang and rang without answer. The woman’s parents cared for her children while she was away.
When she got back home after her mysterious absence, she alleged to her mother and other elders at home that on Saturday January 5, she was on her way home after running an errand when she was kidnapped by two unknown men, one of whom was armed. She claimed they were driving a Toyota Cressida and were wearing balaclavas. She was apparently bundled into the vehicle and taken to the Watersmeet area. Once there, she was kept prisoner in a house with two other females. She alleged she was raped several times and then tortured by the men. The men later tied her up together with the others, threatened to kill them, blindfolded them and left. This allegedly continued over the next couple of days. On the Thursday evening, the women managed to untie themselves and escaped through a window, after their assailants had left. Before leaving the house, she allegedly noticed blood on the floor and mentioned this in her statement to police.
The complainant was interviewed and police tried their utmost to locate the house, fearing that it could be a ‘crime haven’. The woman said she could not identify the house at night, but would be able to point it out during daylight hours. She was taken to the crisis centre, where she received the necessary attention.
The following morning, as soon as the complainant was released from hospital, police officers from various units (including senior management at the station) went out to investigate. While en-route to Peacetown, detectives interviewed the woman further and soon became aware that her story was not adding up. A senior female officer carried on interviewing her and then she refused to point out the house.
She was then taken back to her house. While at her house, she confided in the officer that the entire storey was a figment of her imagination and that she had been lying all along. She indicated that she was willing to give a full explanation as to her where she had been during her disappearance. She explained that she had spent the days in question with her boyfriend, but was afraid to come clean with her parents. Therefore she fabricated the story and decided to use the police as a scapegoat.
She was promptly taken back to the police station, where she was charged with defeating the course of justice. She briefly appeared in the Ladysmith Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, January 15.
Police extend a stern warning to the community that lying under oath is a criminal offence that is punishable by law. The reporting of false cases wastes valuable resources that are needed to fight real crimes and serve the community. All cases reported to the police are thoroughly investigated, so don’t find yourself on the wrong side of the law by making up a crime that didn’t happen.
