A 35-year-old Table View woman who says her rape and home invasion case was closed only weeks after the attack is urging crime victims not to remain silent when they believe police are failing them.
Her message is simple: follow up, ask questions and keep pushing until someone listens.
The woman and her 70-year-old mother were attacked inside their home on 4 June 2026. The woman says she was raped, assaulted with a knife and held captive while the intruders remained in the house for several hours. Her mother was also attacked, and both women were tied up during the terrifying ordeal.
After the attackers left, the younger woman underwent a rape examination and gave police a detailed statement. She also told investigators that she had been forced to transfer money to the suspects through an e-wallet transaction.
She believed the transaction could provide police with an important lead. She traced the cellphone number connected to the transfer and handed screenshots and other information to the police, expecting that the details would be followed up as part of the investigation.
But about two-and-a-half weeks after the attack, she received an SMS informing her that the case had been closed.
“I was in shock. I felt betrayed. Angry. I could not understand how that was even remotely possible,” she said.
The message left her questioning whether the evidence had been properly examined before the case was closed. She wanted to know whether fingerprints had been processed, whether the results of the rape examination had been received and whether the cellphone number linked to the e-wallet payment had been investigated.
For the survivor, the closure of the case created a second battle after the trauma of the attack. She had already gone through a medical examination, provided a statement and handed over information that she believed could help identify the people who attacked her and her mother.
Instead of receiving clear answers, she was left with more questions about what had happened to the evidence and why the investigation had apparently ended so soon.
After consulting a criminal defence attorney, the woman contacted Nicholas Gotsell, who raised concerns about the handling of the matter. The case was subsequently reopened.
Gotsell said the reopening was important, but that it also raised serious questions about how victims are treated when they report violent crimes and ask police for updates.
“The case has been reopened and is going to be investigated again. However, this raises serious questions about how victims of crimes are treated,” he said.
“This is an extremely serious matter and I am currently working with the complainant to lodge a 101 complaint against the officers involved.”
A 101 complaint is a formal complaint relating to police service delivery and conduct. The planned complaint follows the woman’s concerns about how the original case was handled and how she says she was treated after it was reopened.
She alleges that a senior officer treated her and her mother disrespectfully and without empathy during later interactions with police. Instead of feeling supported after reporting a rape and home invasion, she said the experience left her even more traumatised.
“Not once did she apologise that I was raped, not once did she show empathy or compassion. It was so traumatising,” she said.
The woman said the experience changed her view of what she should do after a crime. She had initially faced the painful process of reporting the attack, undergoing an examination and giving investigators information. When she later learned that the case had been closed, she decided that she could not simply accept the decision without asking why.
“I realised I can’t let this go. I was raped, and then the police traumatised me for asking very basic and simple questions about why my case was closed.”
Her case has now been transferred to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit at Milnerton SAPS. She said she now has a detective who communicates with her and appears committed to investigating the matter.
The change has given her some hope that the evidence will be examined properly and that the people responsible for the attack will be identified. She said regular communication has also made a difference after her earlier concerns about being ignored.
SAPS confirmed that the house robbery and rape case is under investigation. Police said no arrests had been made at the time of the response.
“In response to your media enquiry kindly be advised that the mentioned case number is a house robbery and rape case. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation and no arrests have been made yet,” police said.
SAPS urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or to use the MySAPS mobile application anonymously.
The case highlights the difficult position faced by many victims after violent attacks. Reporting a crime does not end the trauma, particularly when victims must repeat painful details, attend medical examinations and wait for updates about evidence. When communication breaks down, victims can be left uncertain about whether their statements, medical results and other information have been properly considered.
In this case, the woman said the e-wallet transaction was one possible lead. She traced the cellphone number herself and handed police screenshots and additional information. She then questioned whether that information had been followed up before the case was closed.
The details of the investigation will now have to be established as the case is examined again. It remains for investigators to determine what happened during the attack, what evidence is available and whether the information supplied by the complainant can assist in identifying the suspects.
The woman is not only calling for answers in her own case. She wants other victims to ask questions when they do not understand what is happening with their investigations. She believes people should request case updates, keep records of information handed to police and raise concerns when they feel their complaints are not being taken seriously.
Her experience has also renewed attention on the way rape survivors and victims of home invasions are treated after reporting crimes. For someone who has already endured violence, a lack of communication or an insensitive response can deepen the harm and make it harder to trust the system meant to help them.
The investigation remains open, and no arrests have been made. The woman and her mother are now waiting for the reopened case to move forward while police continue their work.
For the survivor, the fight is no longer only about what happened inside her home on 4 June. It is also about making sure that her voice is heard, that her evidence is considered and that victims are not left to fight alone for basic answers after reporting serious crimes.
