FOUR men took turns raping a homeless woman in Margate last Thursday.
The 31-year-old is now recovering at a place of safety after her horrific ordeal.
Thinking that Margate was a safe place, the woman took shelter near the beach.
Police spokesman Captain Gerald Mefka said she saw two men smoking. “She asked if she could smoke with them, but the men left. They returned much later and told the woman they had dagga available elsewhere.”
The woman followed the two men to a vacant house in Erasmus Road at about 10.30pm. They were soon joined by another two men and two women and they started smoking dagga.
“According to the woman, one of the men asked to have sex, but she refused. She was then forced to the floor and gang-raped by all four men,” said Captain Mfeka.
After the ordeal the woman fled to her hideout near the beach. She later went to a friend in Marine Drive and explained what had happened. The friend took her to hospital and the police were contacted. No arrests have been made.
* On Monday this week, Captain Mfeka confirmed that there had been a business robbery and two cases of common robbery since last Friday.
* Margate Primary’s computer room was broken into last Friday and equipment stolen.
* A 34-year-old woman was robbed of her cellphone in Lagoon Drive last Friday at about 11am.
* In a separate attack, a woman was confronted in Marine Drive by a man who grabbed her handbag. He was apprehended by members of the public and handed over to the police.
In June the Herald did a special investigation into ‘the dark side of Margate‘, focusing on prostitution and drugs in the town.
Various roads in Margate where prostitutes lurk and drug dens are located were named.
These include Reid Road in Manaba, Marine Drive and Panorama Parade, the corner of Lagoon Road and Marine Drive, Homestead Road, Erasmus Road and Dunbar Road.
Since that report nothing has been done about these vacant properties.
Please report all crimes in the area to Margate SAPS at 039 3129821/22. It helps them to establish crime patterns and put prevantative measures in place.
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