A 20-year-old woman recalled how she was almost kidnapped by the alleged 'Sunday rapist', the High Court, sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court in Alberton, heard on Tuesday.
“He got out (of a bakkie) with a revolver and grabbed me on my right arm,” she told the court.
The court has ordered that she not be identified, but she did not testify in camera as the previous minor witnesses have done.
The woman was giving evidence in the trial of Johannes Jacobus Steyn, who has been dubbed the “Sunday rapist”.
Steyn is accused of murdering schoolgirls Louise de Waal and Lazanne Farmer. He is also charged with 11 counts of rape, 10 of sexual assault, 10 of kidnapping, one of attempted sexual assault, one of attempted kidnapping, and two of assault.
He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The 11 girls Steyn allegedly attacked between 2008 and 2011 were aged between 11 and 18.
The woman who testified on Tuesday was 18 at the time of the attack and told the court she was walking to a cafe in Potchefstroom with her 11-year-old brother in August 2010 when a bakkie stopped next to them.
“He told me: 'You are coming with me'.”
She fought off her assailant, wrestling with him on the grass.
“My brother just stood next to me. He didn't know what to do,” she said and started to cry.
Judge Sita Kolbe told her she would feel better if she told the court what happened.
She smiled and told the court she instructed her brother to fetch their father. The attack happened two houses from theirs.
“I kicked him (the attacker) and closed the door on him and ran home.”
When she got to the gate of her home, her father chased after the man, but could not find him.
Her brother also testified about the day's events, calmly corroborating his sister's testimony.
A fifth victim, aged 18, also started testifying on Tuesday morning about her ordeal, but broke down. The court had to adjourn for five minutes to allow her to compose herself. - Sapa