Pretoria - Confusion continues to cloud the alleged kidnap and rape of a University of Pretoria student at the weekend.
On the one hand, her family has claimed victimisation and intimidation by police, but officers have opened criminal charges against her, claiming she had conflicting information about the incident in her statement.
Statements from witnesses also proved contradictory.
She laid an initial complaint at Sandton police station in the early hours of Sunday morning. According to her mother, she was extremely traumatised, dazed and confused at the time.
She claimed she had been abducted in the Hatfield Square parking lot on Saturday evening after partying with friends. She claimed four men in a bakkie drove her to Sandton where she was repeatedly raped by the gang, and eventually dropped off in that vicinity. She claimed she had no memory of how she arrived at the police station.
But talking to the Pretoria News on Wednesday, she seemingly had a different version of events: “I was at a braai with friends in Pretoria before going to a house party in Johannesburg. At about 11pm, they dropped me off at a fast-food outlet to wait for someone to fetch me and take me back to Pretoria. The next thing I remember, I was at the police station,” she said.
On Wednesday her mother told of the family ordeal “that has ruined my daughter’s life and also severely affected everyone else in the family”.
Her daughter, fighting back tears and with bruises and scratches on her arms, on Wednesday apologised for not recalling the exact details of her ordeal.
She broke down and stressed she was indeed raped. “I have bruises all over my body, on my inner thighs, arms and legs, and internally I’m in so much pain. The doctor who examined me confirmed that I couldn’t inflict such bruising to myself, that’s how bad it is. Why would I lie about it? I’m sorry I can’t remember. I’m trying…” she said in tears.
Her mother, though, has stood by her. According to the family, the woman refused to undergo an initial test at the hospital because she was so severely traumatised.
“I didn’t want anyone to touch me. I was going crazy. I can’t explain all my emotions and feelings during that time. I feel horrible,” she said.
According to her mother they went to Brooklyn police station on Monday afternoon but were met with “criticism, threats and were treated like suspects, not victims”.
“A lady started shouting at my daughter. She told her she was spoilt and was lying. She was literally screaming, asking her to recall the events and interrogating her rather than offering support to someone who has been through something so traumatic… Do they have any idea what we are going through?
“According to three psychologists I’ve spoken to it’s normal for a victim who has been through something like this, not to remember,” the mother said.
On Wednesday police arrived at the alleged victim’s home and arrested her for defeating the ends of justice.
Police spokesman Lungelo Dlamini said she was arrested after police found discrepancies in her statements and those of witnesses.
“It was established that she was never kidnapped but left the Hatfield Square with friends to Sandton where she was allegedly separated from the group for a period of time,” Dlamini said.
She is due to appear in court next year.
Pretoria News