A 24-year-old university student has broken her silence about two terrifying attacks she says began when she was kidnapped while jogging in Norkem Park, Kempton Park, and taken to an isolated field where she was raped.
Weeks later, she says, the same attackers found their way to her home while she was alone. She alleges that they forced their way inside, beat and stabbed her, stripped her naked, strangled her with a belt and cut her before leaving her for dead.
The young woman, a second-year student, is now recovering from severe physical injuries and deep psychological trauma. She spent eight days in intensive care after the second attack, while police continue investigating both cases.
The first attack allegedly happened on Tuesday, 14 July. The student said she was jogging along a road she regularly used when three men attacked her.
She alleges that the men forced her into a black Volkswagen Polo with tinted windows and drove her to a secluded field. One of the men allegedly raped her while another held her down and the third remained in the driver’s seat.
She said she fought desperately to escape.
“One of them raped me, while the other held me down and the last one was in the driver’s seat. I bit the one holding me hard and kicked the other one. He was hurt. That’s how I was able to get away,” she said.
The student managed to flee and ran home. Her family then took her to Norkem police station, where she opened a rape case. She was later taken to Tembisa Hospital for treatment and underwent a rape examination.
The student said she told investigators that she had bitten one of the attackers. She asked that an oral swab be taken because she believed it could help identify the man, but she said the procedure was not carried out.
She said that was the last time she heard from the detective handling the case.
The second attack came on Monday, 17 August, while she was home alone. She said two masked men forced their way into her property after interfering with the gate motor.
According to her account, the gate stopped responding to the remote, forcing her to go outside to investigate. When she saw one of the men, they chased her into the house and followed her inside.
She said the attackers then subjected her to a brutal assault.
“They jammed the gate motor, which forced me to go outside and investigate why it wasn’t responding to the remote. When I saw one of them, they chased me into the house and that’s how they got in.
“They beat me, stabbed me, stripped me naked, strangled me with a belt and cut me. It was the same perpetrators from the first attack. They thought I had died because when I woke up, they were gone.”
Nothing was stolen from the home. The attackers did not take her television, mobile phones or laptops, leaving her with a question that continues to haunt her: how did they find her address?
The student said only police officers and hospital staff knew what had happened to her and where she lived after the first attack.
“The only people who knew about what happened to me were the police officers and the people at the hospital that knew my address.”
She believes the information she gave investigators after the first attack could have assisted the search for the suspects. In addition to telling police that she had bitten one of the attackers, she said she described the men as appearing to be foreign nationals and told investigators that their Zulu had an accent.
The second attack left her with severe scars across her body. The physical injuries are visible, but the emotional impact has continued long after she left hospital.
“My mental health is struggling but I am taking it one day at a time.”
Her experience has also changed the way she sees her own safety and the safety of women around her. The student said she no longer believes women are adequately protected from violence.
“We have never been protected; we are not protected and we will never be protected. Survival has become a burden.”
Her account comes amid widespread anxiety in Ekurhuleni, where nine women have been found dead over the past two months. Police have not declared that one serial killer is responsible for those deaths, and there is no official confirmation that the student’s attacks are linked to the killings.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that investigators were aware of both the rape and attempted-murder cases. No arrests had been made at the time of the report.
Mathe said police were pursuing the people responsible and had assigned resources to the investigations.
“We are working around the clock to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attacks and killings of women in the area. Our investigators are not resting. We are pursuing every available lead, examining multiple theories and following up on a number of possible suspects.
“While we cannot disclose operational details that could compromise the investigation, I can assure the public that significant resources and expertise have been brought into these investigations.”
Mathe urged members of the public to remain vigilant and to share information with police through the correct channels. She said information from residents and other people who may have noticed suspicious activity could assist investigators.
“We believe we are making progress. It is only a matter of time before those responsible are brought before the courts to face the full might of the law,” she said.
The student’s case highlights the importance of recording every available piece of evidence after an attack. Her alleged bite, the vehicle description, the men’s clothing and voices, the route taken, the location of the field and information about the second attack may all assist investigators in building a timeline.
The two incidents must still be tested through a formal police investigation. The student’s account, hospital records, forensic evidence, possible surveillance footage, cellphone data and statements from family members and other witnesses could form part of the case.
For now, the young survivor is trying to rebuild her life while carrying the physical and emotional consequences of what she says happened to her. She escaped the first attack, survived the second and is now waiting for the men she identified as her attackers to be found.
Her story is also a warning about the lasting damage caused when survivors are left without answers. The investigation remains open, and police say the search for those responsible is continuing.
