Six teenage boys from Parkwood are behind bars after they were caught red-handed gang-raping a mentally ill woman in Southfield.
One of the boys admitted the group had stalked the woman as she walked home from the shop on Friday before dragging her into bushes.
The boys, aged between 13 and 16, were caught by wakker armed response officers who were left traumatised after seeing the 30-year-old woman face down in the sand as one of the teens mounted her.
According to a source, the officers were making an arrest nearby when they noticed three boys running along the railway line in Churchill Road and became suspicious.
“They went looking for the boys to see what they were up to and came across the shocking scene,” says the source.
“The woman was lying on her stomach and her dress pulled up and one of the boys was still on top of her, raping her, while the others stood by and watched.”
The source says officers sprang into action as the boys tried to flee the scene.
“Three of them ran away, but the officers cornered all six. The woman got up and started walking away and the last boy came out of the bush pulling up his pants.
“When they were questioned, one of the boys admitted they chased her across a bridge, dragged her into the bush and even admitted that they all raped her and sodomised her.
“He still said: “Ons het haar gejaag en gen***.’
“It was a sick thing to see and the officers were traumatised and naar and it was clear these boys knew she was mentally ill and targeted her.”
In a video taken at the scene, one of the younger boys confirms they stalked the woman.
“Die vrou het af die brug geloop en toe loop ons saam haar, toe het hy haar rok opgelig.
“Toe is sy weg, toe soek ons vir haar heeltyd en toe kry ons vir haar op die treinspore en hy trek vir haar in die bossies in. Toe lig hulle haar rok op en maak ougat met haar,” he said.
The armed response manager for Combat Force, who asked not to be named, confirmed the arrest and said the boys were taken to Diep River Police Station where they were arrested.
The woman’s carer arrived home at about 2.30pm and immediately took a towel off the washing line and covered her body.
“She is from Mitchells Plain and suffers from schizophrenia, but she lives with us,” said the caregiver.
“Th incident happened when she went to the shop. Since Friday she has become very withdrawn and we are still in shock.”
Police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana says a rape case has been opened for investigation: “Six boys aged between 13 and 16 are being processed according to the Child Justice Act. The investigation is ongoing.”