Florida [in South Africa] Police Station takes over alleged JMPD rape
case
Police, JMPD and the
Independent Police Investigative Directorate investigate gang-rape by men in
JMPD uniform.
July 12, 2017
Metro
Police spokesperson Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said the JMPD and police are
currently involved in the rape investigation. File photo.
Fairland
— A police case involving a woman who was held at gunpoint and gang-raped by
two men who were allegedly clad in Metro Police uniform last week has been
transferred to the Florida Police Station for further investigation.
Constable
Moloko Kgatla, the spokesperson of Fairland Police Station, where the incident
was reported, told the Northsider that the docket had been sent to Florida
Police Station because the incident occurred outside the Fairlands policing
area.
Reports
indicate that the incident happened on 14th Avenue last Wednesday, 5 July. The
victim was allegedly asked to produce her driver’s licence before being held at
gunpoint and forced into a nearby bush where she was raped.
The
Northsider approached the Florida Police Station for more information. The
spokesperson for Florida Police, Captain Lydia Dikomela, confirmed that the
matter was now being investigated at her station. However, she refused to
divulge the latest details of the probe. “I can’t get into details,” she said,
“because it [the incident] involves men who were allegedly in JMPD uniform.”
No arrests
have been made so far, and the condition of the victim is unknown at this
stage.
Joburg
Metro spokesperson, Superintendent Wayne Minnaar, also confirmed that he was
aware of the matter and his department was also taking part in probing this
matter.
“The incident of a woman who was gang-raped by men allegedly in JMPD
uniform is currently being investigated by the police, the JMPD and the
Independent Police Investigative Directorate,” he said.
He
added, “If anyone should be stopped on the side of the road by individuals who
appear to be bogus police officers, they may drive to the nearest police
station for help, or to a filling station where there are lights and cameras.
They are also invited to phone wither the police on 10111, or the JMPD on 011
375 5911.”
Minnaar
also shed light on how they operate. “The JMPD uses unmarked cars only for
special operations. Normal patrol duties are conducted by officers who are
wearing full Metro police uniforms, travelling in fully marked Metro Police
vehicles,” he explained.
Rape
stats released in 2017
Earlier
this year, Norman Sekhukhune, the Head of Crime Research and Statistics,
unpacked the crime statistics during the Police Portfolio Committee meeting in
Parliament. According to News24 reports, it was revealed that between April and
December 2016, 30 069 cases of rape were reported. While this figure is down
from the previous period, it still amounts to about 110 reported cases of rape
per day.
In
Gauteng, the latest updates from Stats SA revealed that there was a decrease in
sexual offences crimes. In 2014, Gauteng recorded 10 929 cases; in 2015 this
decreased to 9 902, and in 2016 the figure dropped to 9 510.
Readers
are invited to comment on this article by emailing sison@caxton.co.za. Kindly note that your
comments may be used as this story develops.
What
do you do when you faced with a rape situation? Do you surrender or fight back?
