FEMALE pedestrians are the target of muggers, some of whom are armed. The issue is concerning the Durban North SAPS who today said that 80 percent of the 15 muggings reported in the past two months involved women. There have been three muggings this week alone.
At its daily crime meeting on Wednesday, Col Gopaul Naidoo, station commander at Durban North pinpointed a number of crime hotspots and outlined a strategy to combat the rise in armed muggings.
Lt Raymond Deokaran, spokesman for the station said there were three cases reported this week alone (two of the three muggings involved female pedestrians).
“We are concerned about the spike in muggings. We’ve identified hotspots and have set-up several observation points along them. Three of the armed muggings have also involved a group of armed men driving a white Citi Golf.”
The most shocking case occurred on Tuesday when local resident Yvonne Kirstein (80), who regularly walks to the SPAR supermarket was pulled into the back of a vehicle, held down and robbed. One of her attackers held a knife to her neck, she was robbed and the armed man began biting her wedding ring finger in an effort to get the ring off.
Kirstein said the car used by the suspects was a white Citi Golf.
Deokaran, urged residents to walk in groups wherever possible and to sick to well-lit and well populated areas.
“Muggers are far less likely to target people when there are others around or they are likely to be seen,” he explained.
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