The latest case of home assault resulted in the hospitalisation of Tiny Serrurier (83). The domestic worker, Anna, was also assaulted on their premises in Susanna Road, Florentia.
According to Tiny’s daughter-in-law Pearl, the workers were there the day before; they gained access to the property and had a look around. The next day they returned. They told Tiny they were planning to put in new water pipes in the area.
At first she did not want to allow them to enter, but proceeded to phone the number listed in the telephone book for the Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality (EMM). The woman who answered the phone set her mind at ease and told her that they do have people working in her area.
Pearl further recounts how they have a suspicion that it might have been foreign nationals and not local men posing as municipal workers, because their accent did not sound local to their mother.
There were two men, one tall and one short. They wore reflective jackets the first day they entered her property, but Tiny cannot recall if it had any signification on it.
The second day they entered they took photos of the property and explained that the photos taken on their smart phone goes directly to the department to plan the location of the water pipes.
The suspect then told Tiny they need to view the bathroom in the main house. Here they attacked her, tied her up and threw her into a bedroom. After a while Tiny thought they had left and went to the kitchen to find a knife or scissors to cut the ties around her wrists. At that stage they have not left yet, and saw Tiny with the knife in her hand.
They made a comment asking her if she was going to stab them now, and then harassed her again and took her to the room.
Pearl was the second person who was on the scene after the assault. Tiny and Anna were lucky that a neighbour came home earlier and heard their screams for help. At that stage they had both been tied up for at least three hours.
Tiny has been released from hospital and is recovering at a family member’s home. She would like to thank the paramedic staff and the
staff at the Union Hospital, especially the staff at casualty who took great care of her.
