She got a protection order and, when he threatened her, she went to the police. But on Wednesday Christina Geraldine Masemola was allegedly stabbed 17 times by her ex-boyfriend and is now in a critical condition in hospital.
The ex-boyfriend allegedly lay in wait for Masemola, 33, a domestic worker, and pounced on her as she walked through Queenswood to her employer’s home.
Masemola screamed and tried in vain to fight him off as he stabbed her repeatedly with a knife in the face, neck, chest, side and back.
Masemola collapsed in the street, bleeding profusely.
Members of the Pretoria flying squad, flagged down by hysterical residents, rushed to her aid, providing lifesaving medical treatment as they waited for paramedics.
Hospital staff said had she not received the initial treatment she might have died.
It is understood the stabbing may have damaged nerves in her spine and punctured vital organs.
Even after police had taken her assailant away, blood could still be seen staining the road.
Masemola’s distraught mother, Sarah Masemola, said on Wednesday night that the family could not understand why the police had not been willing to help her daughter.
“We went to the police repeatedly asking for help. They allowed us to open a case when my daughter’s house was burnt down, but when we asked them for help on Monday after he (the ex-boyfriend) threatened Christina and her daughter, the police said there was nothing they could do.
“I was with Christina when police said we had to see him threatening her or her daughter before they could do anything.
“We have a protection order from last year, but even with this paper they would not help,” Masemola said, adding that police from the Mabopane and Akasia police stations had turned them away on Monday.
Masemola sr said she had removed her grandchild because the family feared for her safety.
“This man has threatened to kill us all. He has threatened to hunt us down, burn our houses and destroy everything we own.
“We are so scared. We just want someone to help us,” she said.
Masemola’s employer, Carol-Anne Rork, confirmed that the family had gone to the police repeatedly.
Police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Annerie Robinson said she was unable to establish why officers from different police stations had not helped Masemola on Monday.
Childline director Joan van Niekerk slammed the actions of officers at the police stations.
“This underlines how inadequate our protection system is for women and children.
“This is not an isolated incident. This happens almost daily. People trustingly get protection orders, but these are frequently not honoured.
“This and other similar incidents point to the dire need for a special unit within the police that understand domestic violence, are properly trained and know how to offer protection effectively,” she said.
Van Niekerk said Childline came across numerous people in the criminal justice system who said that if a suspect did not own a gun he was not dangerous. “We are very concerned because the country’s ability to protect women and children is limited,” she said.
Inter-Trauma Nexus head Barbara Louw said domestic violence was a huge problem especially if police did not want to get involved. - Pretoria News