Michelle Rorke (37) spoke to Kempton Express about her haunting experience which started on Sim Road in Pomona when three armed men jumped into her car in the early hours of the morning.
“They ordered me to drive them to various locations in Kempton Park, including the central business district (CBD) and Norkem Park. We had to stop outside a house where one would get out, come back and then we had to drive again.”
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Rorke said during the three to four hours they would take turns to touch her body and forced her to touch them while driving.
They instructed her to withdraw money at an ATM on Mooirivier Drive in Norkem Park and also took her wallet, which only contained old cards.
Luckily her phone was on charge underneath her seat so they did not see it.
She said in the CBD she accidentally turned into a one-way off Monument Road.
“As I was driving up the one-way, a police car instructed me to pull over. The moment we stopped, I jumped out before the men could. The men shouted something to the police officer in a language I didn’t understand and they fled the scene.”
She said the officer asked her whether she was looking for a particular house or drugs.
“I was actually trying to tell him that the men who ran away was forcing me at gunpoint to drive them around for hours. I was in a terrible state,” Rorke said with her fingers pressed to her forehead.
“The officer then asked me where my mask was. He said he wanted to arrest me and I proceeded to the front of the car to get my licence which, granted, had expired.”
She said the officer eventually instructed her to cross the street to Kempton Park SAPS to open a case.
“When I got out onto the pavement at the station, I collapsed and burst out in hysteric tears. I pleaded to the officer that I just wanted to return home to my son.”
Instead of giving her calming reassurance, the officer told her she could go home.
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Rorke said due to her state of shock, she didn’t take note of the officer’s name or car.
Rorke doesn’t want to be regarded as a victim, but rather a gender-based violence survivor.
“I don’t want to harbour ill feelings towards the officer. I just want to ensure that we as women can feel safe in the presence of a police officer. Especially after having suffered severe trauma and abuse.”
According to the Kempton Park SAPS spokesperson, Capt Jethro Mtshali, Ekurhuleni District task team detectives are investigating a case of hijacking and kidnapping.
“We can confirm the incident,” said Mtshali.
“It is difficult to establish who the officer was. We always advise residents to at least supply us with the registration number or call sign of the vehicle, for example, KP 100, or station.”
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