Daspoort tunnel attack victim dies after being found

A woman, who was found by passers-by at the Daspoort tunnel in the west of Pretoria after she was assaulted, has died in hospital.

The woman was found on Tuesday morning and died in the hospital afterwards of her injuries.

The local resident who found the woman recently spoke to Pretoria Moot Rekord of her traumatic experience.

“We were on our way from Danville when we saw the woman by the side of the road in front of the tunnel,” said Charmaine Botha.

She and her husband, Nico, were in the car when they stopped to look.

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“I initially thought it was a man by the way she was beaten,” she said.

Botha said she phoned all the emergency services from the scene.

“I stayed with her until the ambulance arrived at the scene,” she said.

“They took her to Pretoria West hospital.”

She said she visited the woman later that day at 3pm.

“I placed my hand on her forehead and she mumbled something – I think she was still in shock over what happened,” she said.

On Thursday morning, Botha received a call from the hospital, informing her of the woman’s death.

Botha said they were not sure who the woman was.

“According to the investigating officer, the woman is known as Barbara,” she said.

“That is all we know.”

Residents are now searching for the woman’s family or friends.

“We are getting no information as to who the family of the woman might be,” said AfriForum Pretoria West neighbourhood watch chairperson Francois Oberholster.

Police spokesperson Constable Sibongile Vuma said they were not sure of the woman’s identity and if she had any family in Pretoria.

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