Police in the Uthukela Cluster are appealing to the public to be aware of the risks that may come with hitch-hiking.
An 18-year-old girl who was hitch-hiking along the Green Point road in Bergville near Ladysmith was raped during the course of last weekend after she accepted a lift from someone. She was walking towards the bus stop when the driver of a light-blue Toyota Corolla stopped to offer her a lift.
The driver was alone in the vehicle and after driving off, he asked her how much money she was going to pay him for the transport. When she answered that she had no money, the man stopped his vehicle and told her to get out of the car, which she did. He drove off, leaving her to walk along the road.
The same vehicle returned a short while later, stopped and the driver dragged the girl into nearby bushes, where she was raped.
Her assailant then carried her back to his vehicle, where he locked her in the boot.
He later dropped her off at the Roosboom taxi rank, outside Ladysmith.
In the interests of your safety, police appeal to the community to be very alert and careful when hitch-hiking, especially at night.
There are serious risks attached to hitch-hiking, since you do not know anything about the person you are getting a lift from. It is advisable to rather call on friends and family for a lift or make use of public transport, if possible.
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