Tshwane cops urge girls to avoid wi-fi hotspots following reported rape cases

The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Ga-Rankuwa, Tshwane have urged young girls to avoid the free wi-fi hotspots in the area, due to the number of rape cases that have been reported in the past few weeks.

This comes after the perpetrators were reportedly forcing their victims into vehicles, targeting the areas around the hotspots, according to police spokesperson Captain Matthews Nkoadi.

“All the victims were targeted at wi-fi hotspots and once the suspects force the girls into their cars, they rape them leave them stranded elsewhere after the ordeal,” Nkoadi said.

Nkoadi explained that most of the victims were under a certain age. The spokesperson further urged residents to be alert and avoid the hotspots.

“It is for this reason that the police are warning parents or community members not to allow children to roam around wi-fi hotspots unmonitored.”

He asked members of the public to contact police at their Crime Stop number (08600-10111) or the MySAPS App to report any suspicious activities.

Meanwhile, Police Minister Bheki Cele last month provided detailed to plans to combat gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide at 30 identified hotspot areas.

Cele said GBV was a societal illness which needed to be tackled with all hands on deck.

The minister tabled a list of 30 hotspot areas which police had put together based on research done over a period.

He stressed that the list did not mean GBV cases were only limited to the identified hotspot areas, and that it was important for citizens to note the areas of concern.

The list to the 30 hotspot areas was compiled based on nine key variables, including the number of reported cases to police during the 2019/2020 financial year. This included rape, human trafficking for sexual offences, kidnapping, sexual offences and cases related to human trafficking.

Domestic violence including cases of murder, rape and attempted murder were considered in compiling the list.

The hotspot list also included eight other cases related to domestic violence and gender-based violence.

Here’s the list below:

READ NEXT: Should we deny bail to those accused of rape?

This article first appeared on Rekord and was republished with permission.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.