One of four men, who allegedly gang raped a 12-year-old girl in December, was nabbed by armed response officers.
The victim and her mother contacted Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) and asked for help when they received information that one of the men was employed at an industrial area in Tongaat.
Prem Balram, spokesperson for Rusa, said the woman told officers that on the day of the incident, her child was playing with a friend near their home, north of Durban, when four men offered both girls cooldrink.
“The girls accepted the offer but were unaware the beverage contained a narcotic, which resulted in them becoming incapacitated. One of the girls managed to flee,” he said.
The victim was dragged into a room... When residents from the area found out about the incident, they conducted a search and later found the victim in a bush.
“A criminal case was registered a few days later but the suspects, who are known to the family, have since been on the run and evaded police,” he said.
The victim returned to school after the holidays, but Balram said she was ridiculed by other pupils who heard of the incident, leading her to abandon her schooling.
He said the mother’s informer was unable to confirm the suspect’s exact location, so reaction officers made telephonic contact with the investigating officer from the Phoenix Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS).
He confirmed that the suspect had been evading law enforcement since January and should be arrested if spotted.
“Officers conducted further investigation and located the suspect’s place of employment. Members approached the man and arrested him. He was detained at the Verulam police station,” he said.
Rusa officers were still searching for the remaining three suspects.