Farm Watch aids police in Groblersdal rape arrest
Groblersdal Farm Watch members and police arrest rape suspect after a 22-year-old woman was attacked along the R33 road.
LIMPOPO – Acting provincial police commissioner Major General Jan Scheepers has welcomed the arrest of a rape suspect along the R33 road in the Groblersdal policing precinct on Monday (September 22).
The arrest was made possible through swift collaboration between Groblersdal Farm Watch members and the police.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba says a 22-year-old woman was driven by the suspect from the Motetema policing area towards Groblersdal.
“When the suspect’s vehicle ran out of fuel along a farm section of the R33 road, he reportedly took the opportunity to rape the victim. Members of the Groblersdal Farm Watch, who noticed the suspicious vehicle, intervened and questioned the suspect. It was then discovered that the victim had just been assaulted. The suspect was detained on the spot until police arrived and took him into custody,” says Mashaba.
Scheepers commended the Farm Watch members for their vigilance, saying the arrest highlights the value of partnership policing in tackling crime.
The suspect is expected to appear before the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court soon on a charge of rape.
