Alert residents responded to a child’s screams and managed to prevent the 13-year-old girl from being raped.
The incident occurred in Bezuidenhout Park shortly after 7am on Friday morning.
The Yeoville SAPS spokesperson, Constable Thabo Malatji, said a man abducted and attempted to rape the young teenager while she was on her way to school.
Const Malatji said a man in his late 30s offered the child a lift while she was walking along First Avenue in Bertrams, promising to take her to school.
“He drove past the school to Bezuidenhout Park ,where he tried to rape her. The girl screamed. Her screams attracted people who were passing by. They apprehended the man and called the police. He was arrested on the spot,” said Const Malatji.
Const Malatji commended the residents who rescued the girl.
“We are grateful they did not look away when they heard the child crying. They also did not take the law into their own hands but rather phoned the police. Let us work together and fight child abuse and all other crimes in our community,” he said.
He urged school children to refrain from accepting lifts from strangers.
“If not for these residents, we would be talking a different story now. Who knows what he would have done after raping her? Please children, never accept any lifts from strangers. Parents, talk to your children and tell them to not accept lifts from strangers. This is dangerous,” he said.
Const Malatji said the man will appear in court soon.
