On 8 August 2020, a 26-year-old female found herself stranded in the Durban CBD after an ATM machine swallowed her bankcard while attempting to withdraw cash. She had no money to return to her home in Umlazi and was approached by a 54-year-old man who noticed that she was in need of help and offered her a lift home.
When she noticed that the suspect was taking a different route, she questioned him. The suspect claimed that the vehicle he was driving had a problem and therefore he needed to take another vehicle from his home in Umbilo. When they entered his premises, the suspect threatened the victim with his dogs and forced her inside his house where he repeatedly raped her.
The man took her back to town and drove off after giving her cash for transport. The victim reported the incident at Umbilo police station and the docket was transferred to the Brighton Beach Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for further investigation.
An intensive investigation led to the arrest of the suspect in the early hours of the morning. He is appearing at the Durban Magistrates Court on 8 April 2021 for rape.
