BULWER residents have been warned to be alert and not fall victim to prostitutes who have taken to mugging unsuspecting people. The issue was raised at the recently Bulwer Safety and Urban Regeneration Forum (BSURF) meeting.
Addressing the meeting, chairperson, Heather Rorick warned residents to be aware of the women, who she said worked in pairs, and who had mugged several people in the Bulwer area.
Response to a post on social media calling for people who had been victims of the muggins by the women drew a lot of social commentry and response and saw four people come forward. “Women have been robbed by these prostitutes who have initially asked residents for food. They are aggressive and are out to hurt people, which is a concern. Residents have reported being mugged for their cellphones, jewellery and money, “ she said.
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Rorick said a 14-year-old schoolgirl had been attacked and her cellphone stolen by a 32-year-old woman earlier this month.
“The woman tore the girl’s cellphone out of her school tracksuit pants. She was chased by the Bulwer Ambassadors, who caught her and handed her over to the police. The child was hysterical, but the woman just laughed and told us she would be out again, and she is. She pleaded guilty and is out on a warning, “ she said, adding that she was concerned it was going to happen again.
She urged any other people who have been victims of this type of crime to come forward.
“Metro Police are fining the women found loitering on the street, and the police are arresting them, however they are released again, “ she said.
Reiterating this statement, Col Stanley Perumall, visible policing commander at Umbilo SAPS, told residents how difficult it was for police to police prostitution. He mentioned how long it took for each policeman to process the paperwork, whereas it took the courts an instant to dismiss the case. It is therefore classed as a low priority crime.
She said it was time the community stood together and voiced their objections to having prostitution in their neighbourhoods.
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“Residents need to put on the pressure, we need to lobby for cases to be heard in the community court. These are repeat offenders who need to be brought to book, “ she said.
To end the meeting, Rorick urged residents to be vigilant with the approach of the ‘silly ‘ season.
Col Perumall commended Rorick and the Bulwer Ambassadors for their hard work in Helen Joseph Road, and said there had been a definite decrease in crime in the road. He encouraged residents to donate non-perishable food items to be able to put together food parcels to thank the Ambassadors for their hard work this year.
If you want to donate towards this cause, contact Heather on 074 203 2792.
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