Alex police are investigating nine rape cases reported from 8 December to 26 December, last year.
- Alex police spokesperson Lieutenant Allie Kodisang said an unknown and wanted suspect allegedly raped a woman at 3pm on 8 December. The victim was walking with her boyfriend when the suspect approached and pointed a gun at them. He took a Samsung cellphone from the boyfriend before forcing the victim under a bridge. The suspect undressed and raped the woman using a condom, and while allegedly pointing the gun at her boyfriend. After the incident, the suspect ran away.
- A suspect allegedly raped a woman at about 4.30am on 11 December at her boyfriend’s residence. Kodisang said the boyfriend left the victim sleeping and she was awakened by someone on top of her, raping her. The victim identified the suspect as someone she had seen the previous day following her and her friends.
- On 11 December at about 3pm, a woman was allegedly raped by a known suspect. He approached her while she waited for a friend. When the friend didn’t turn up the suspect asked the victim to accompany him. The victim refused but the suspect dragged her to a nearby room that had no door where he forcibly undressed, pushed her on a couch and raped her. When she started bleeding, he stopped, dressed and left her in the room.
- A disabled child was allegedly raped by a suspect residing at the same premises with her. Kodisang said the incident happened at about 6.30pm on 12 December.
- A known suspect allegedly raped a woman at his place at about 10pm on 13 December. Kodisang said the victim, who had earlier celebrated her birthday at her home, met the suspect as she was walking to another residence. The suspect grabbed her and told her that he wasn’t going to sleep alone. He pulled her to his place where he beat her with a steel object and forced her to undress before raping her without a condom. Later, he forced her to sleep with him but she escaped during the early hours of the morning when the suspect was asleep.
- A woman was allegedly raped by two unknown suspects at about 2am on 15 December next to a bridge on 18th Avenue. Kodisang said the victim was walking with a male friend when the suspects stopped them and asked for matches. The suspects then pointed firearms at them and the friend ran away. The suspect held and beat the victim before both of them forced her to perform oral sex on them and they penetrated her without using condoms. They also took her cellphone.
- A suspect allegedly raped a woman in a public toilet at Madala hostel at about 5.50am on 23 December. His accomplice was about to rape the victim but was disturbed by passersby enabling the victim to escape. Kodisang said the suspects approached the victim as she walked past the hostel and accused her of being a lesbian. When she ran away, they pursued, caught and dragged her to the toilet. Despite her screams, no one came to her rescue. The suspects undressed her, then one of them raped her, while the other put his hands over her eyes.
- A suspect allegedly raped a woman at about 5am on Christmas Day. Kodisang said the victim was walking with her sister when the suspect grabbed her from behind by her hair. The sister allegedly ran away and the suspect forced the victim to a nearby toilet where he threatened to beat her. He forced her to undress and warned her not to look at his face. He allegedly raped her three times. Afterwards, he accompanied her to her home before walking away.
- A known suspect allegedly raped a woman at about 1.30am on 26 December at his place of residence. Kodisang said the victim was walking from a tavern with two friends when the suspect grabbed her hair from behind. The friends ran away and the suspect forced the victim to his home where he forced her to undress and threatened to beat her before raping her using a condom. He later told her to leave his premises.
Details: Alex Police Station 011 431 7600.
