A young woman held at gunpoint in a Grahamstown house and raped on Monday night was finally rescued in the early hours of Tuesday when her three companions – who had escaped – raised the alarm. Meanwhile, two other men who were inside the house throughout the night-long ordeal said they'd been too drunk to realise what was going on.
A young woman held at gunpoint in a Grahamstown house and raped on Monday night was finally rescued in the early hours of Tuesday when her three companions – who had escaped – raised the alarm. Meanwhile, two other men who were inside the house throughout the night-long ordeal said they'd been too drunk to realise what was going on.
The four women, who were on their way home on Monday night, were allegedly intimidated into accompanying two men to a house in Qhude Street, Extension 9, in Joza. A witness said one of the men pulled out a firearm and shot into the air.
A source said the owner of the house was a friend of one of the men subsequently arrested for alleged rape, and that one of the women was the owner's girlfriend. The owner was not at home at the time of the alleged assault, the source said.
One of the two men who were inside the house during the alleged rapes described what he saw.
"The women came in and sat with us. We only knew one of the women and the rest we have never seen before," the man said.
"The one we knew is a girlfriend of the house owner.
"Me and my [friend], we were already drunk by that time. What we noticed was that the women were called one by one by the men to the bedroom.
"But there was no sign that there was something happening in that bedroom. After maybe about 15 to 20 minutes another woman would be called to the bedroom.
"They were calm when they came out of the bedroom. Later on, me and my [friend]slept while this was still going on," he said.
It appeared that three of the women were released. They went to the Joza police station to report their ordeal and raise the alarm about their friend.
When the police arrived, the two men who had allegedly forced the women into the house were arrested and a firearm recovered.
Grahamstown police spokesperson, Captain Mali Govender, confirmed that two men were arrested for alleged rape in Extension 9.
"Two male suspects aged 29 and 17 will appear in the Grahamstown Magistrates Court [Thursday 3 December] following their arrest on Tuesday," Govender said.
"It is alleged that the suspects accosted four young females who were on their way home on Monday night and took them to a house in Extension 9 in Joza where they raped them.
"In the early hours of Tuesday morning three of the girls were released while the eldest, aged 18, was detained by the suspects.
"The young victims found their way to the Joza SAPS, where they reported the incident.
"Police went out to the house where they were held. The fourth victim was found as well as the two suspects," said Govender.
She said during the search, a Norinco pistol with three live rounds of ammunition was seized.
A juvenile was released into the custody of a relative who was warned to bring the suspect to court.
Govender said the men face several counts that include rape, kidnapping, armed robbery, possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.
