Addressing crimes against women, children and vulnerable persons remains a top priority for the South African Police Service (SAPS). It is for this reason that Provincial Commissioner of police in Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela commended the task team members whose relentless efforts and vigilance led to the arrest of a 38-year-old suspect in Mayfield, Putfontein on Sunday, 22 January 2023.
The suspect is linked to 35 cases involving multiple charges that include rape and kidnapping of which the youngest victim is 14-year-old.
Police in Gauteng activated a task team following a spate of rape incidents with a similar modus operandi reported within the area of Tembisa and Benoni; the oldest case spans as far back as September 2018.
The task team comprises of members of the Investigative Psychological Section (IPS), Gauteng Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI) and detectives of the local Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units (Benoni and Tembisa).
SECI is a specialised investigation section within the provincial FCS Unit.
According to a preliminary report the task team had just reported for duty on Sunday morning to continue their operation to track down the alleged Tembisa/Benoni serial rapist when one of the officers noticed a vehicle matching the description of the alleged suspect.
The driver of the said vehicle was busy making his way to the area in which the alleged serial rapist targeted his victims. Without hesitation the team proceeded in the same direction and intercepted the vehicle and arrested the suspect.
“This team’s unwavering commitment to apprehend the alleged serial rapist is commendable, they left no stone unturned. The message is clear – there is no room for criminals in the province. Community members can rest assured that our members remain resolute in addressing the scourge of gender-based violence,” said Lt Gen Mawela.
The suspect is expected to appear before Daveyton Magistrates’ court on 24 January 2023 while further investigation is still underway.
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