Allanridge - Allanridge police have launched a manhunt for a rapist who raped a 59-year-old woman at her home in the town this week, Free State police said on Saturday.
The woman was asleep at her home at Nyakallong at about 4am on Thursday, July 18 when an unknown man wearing a balaclava forced entry into her house. He threatened her with a panga, Captain Stephen Thakeng said.
"Apparently she was forced to go outside her home where she was raped. After the rape ordeal, the victim was left there and the incident was reported to Allanridge police and a case of rape was registered."
Residents were "sternly warned not to take the law into their own hands", but to allow a proper police investigation to be conducted. Elderly people should also not be allowed to stay alone, as several crimes were being reported.
"A thorough investigation is being conducted; thus residents must come forward with information and not take [the] law into their own hands. The case has been handed to [the] family violence, child protection, and sexual offences unit [FCS] for investigation," Thakeng said.
Anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the rapist should contact the commander of the Welkom policing cluster FCS unit Detective Captain Bizzah Ntsiane on 082-466-6762.