People are being warned to avoid secluded spots in and around Muizenberg at night after a spate of rapes in areas popular with courting couples.
Police say couples smooch-ing on the back seats of cars in quiet areas and roads in and around Muizenberg have become targets for prowling rapists and that at least five rapes are recorded every month at the police station.
Muizenberg police spokes-man Inspector Cliffie Wyeth said many recent rapes had not been reported because the victims were embarrassed.
He warned lovers to avoid spots such as the Lover's Lane in Strandfontein, Strandfontein Pavilion, all the areas of Zeekoevlei and along Baden Powell Drive from Muizenberg to Strandfontein.
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Wyeth said that at 4am on December 20 a couple sitting in their car at Zeekoevlei had been confronted by four men and threatened with a firearm.
"They were made to sit in the back of the car watched closely by two of the men.
"The men then drove to Lover's Lane in Strandfontein, where three of them raped the woman, while the fourth held the boyfriend at knife-point."
They were then robbed of their cellphones and wristwatches.
The robbers then demanded the pin numbers of their bank cards, and drove to an ATM in Muizenberg where they withdrew R1 000 from each account before leaving the couple in their car and running away on foot.
Police called counsellors out to the Muizenberg police trauma room where the woman was comforted.
They arrested two men, and handed the case docket over to the provincial police's serious violent crimes unit.
"People must avoid parking in isolated places this festive season," Wyeth said.
Wyeth also told of a recent incident in which three men stopped in Strandfontein Road and offered a hitch-hiker a lift.
The hiker, a domestic worker, got into the car and drove off with the men.
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