Bogus taxi operators in Silverton are out to kidnap, rob and rape women, police warned this week.
It advised taxi commuters to be wary at all times.
This follows an incident where a woman in her thirties was robbed and raped by three men after she boarded a taxi.
Police spokesperson Captain Jan Sepato said the woman was on her way to the east when she stopped a taxi on Solomon Mahlangu road last week.
“She got into a white Toyota quantum under the impression that it was a taxi and found three men including the driver, as if it was a normal taxi situation.”
Much to the woman’s shock, the taxi drove off into a different direction.
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The woman was beaten and her belongings forcefully taken from her.
“She said they then drove off to an isolated bush, where they took turns in raping her,” said Sepato.
“She was the left in the bushes, where she could not get immediate help.”
Police believed there might be a group of men targeting women by pretending to be taxi operators.
Sepato said this was the second crime of this kind within two weeks, with the victims giving almost identical details of the incident.
“The other victim gave an almost similar account of what transpired on the day, including the same colour vehicle and the number of occupants in the car,” he said.
Though police suspected fake taxi operators, Sepato said they could not rule out the possibility of taxi drivers being involved.
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He said police had picked up a pattern in the two crimes, which gave them reason to believe the same culprits were responsible.
Both victims were going towards the east on Solomon Mahlangu and were both robbed, kidnapped and sexually assaulted.
“The second woman said she was inappropriately touched on her private parts and assaulted, but she was not raped.”
Statistics released by the minister of police in 2016/17 showed that Silverton’s rape cases had risen by 32.3 percent and contact sexual offences had almost doubled.
Sepato said police would monitor Solomon Mahlangu Road and asked that commuters be cautious when boarding taxis.
He advised women to be aware of gender representation when boarding a taxi.
“Women getting into a taxi must ensure that there is mixed gender and if they are not comfortable, they must not climb into the taxi.”
The police would continue their search for the three men.
Sepato urged anyone with information on the crimes to contact the Silverton police or leave an anonymous tip on 08600-0111.
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