Cop ‘serial rapist’ fear
July 17 2012 at 07:50am
By Shaun Smillie
INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is investigating whether or not a constable based at the Randburg police station is an alleged serial rapist.
The 30-year-old policeman, who is a member of the Randburg visible policing unit, was arrested on Saturday.
The directorate was informed shortly after the policeman was arrested, said Moses Dlamini, spokesman for the police watchdog body.
The constable faces two charges of rape, one in Randburg last month and the other in Hammanskraal, north of Tshwane, just more than a week ago.
Investigators from the IPID discovered on Monday, while conducting further investigations, that the policeman had allegedly been involved in an attempted rape near Lephalale, Limpopo.
“We might be investigating a serial rapist here,” said Dlamini.
The Randburg rape, according to Dlamini, took place on June 30 when the suspect and another policeman picked up two women who were on their way to a team-building event.
“The policeman and (woman) friend left the couple, and the suspect allegedly raped the 18-year-old victim in his car,” said Dlamini.
The victim reported the rape to the Katlehong police station on the same day.
The second rape had allegedly taken place on July 8 while the suspect was with two friends in Polokwane.
It is alleged that he and his friends gave a lift to the victim from Polokwane to Hammanskraal.
Dlamini said they had stopped at the side of the road and all three men had allegedly raped the woman, robbed her of her bank card and withdrawn money from her account.
The alleged attempted rape occurred on April 18. The suspect was arrested but later released when the victim dropped the charges.
“According to the woman, she was coming from a tavern when she noticed the suspect following her,” said Dlamini.
She had tried to phone her boyfriend, but he didn’t answer his phone.
The suspect then allegedly grabbed the victim and, at gunpoint, dragged her into some bushes.
“He tried to take off her trousers, but she managed to escape,” said Dlamini. “She even asked who he was, and he gave her his name,” he added.
On Monday, the suspect appeared in the Hammanskraal and Randburg magistrate’s courts on charges of rape and robbery.
He is expected to appear in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court soon on a charge of attempted rape.
One person who worked with the suspected rapist at the Randburg police station was shocked on Monday to hear of his arrest.
shaun.smillie@inl.co.za
