Byline: Andani Matumba
13 April 2023
An 18-year-old teen was catfished and raped recently in Mgobodi bushes during the Easter Sunday after she allegedly met a suspect on Facebook.
According to police reports, the victim from Ntunda received a friend request from the suspect, after accepting the invite, their friendship was taken to another level.
It is alleged that the two started chatting on Facebook in February this year (2023) and their friendship developed to setting a date for the Easter Sunday.
The victim alleged that her male friend requested her to arrive at Mgobodi after 19:00.
She allegedly took a taxi and whilst on her way they constantly communicated and the male friend kept on assuring her that she will find him at the bus shelter and she arrived at Mgobodi at around 20:00.
According to the victim, on her arrival the situation was nolonger as per agreement.
She alleged that she could not find her male friend instead she found somebody who introduced himself as someone sent by a friend to pick her up.
It was during this time when she noticed that something was not right, especially when the guy directed her to the nearest bushes.
Out of suspicions she asked why into the bushes, but she was informed that it was a shortcut to her friend’s residence.
Whilst in the bushes, she was instructed to undress and the suspect raped her before robbing her of her cell phone then left her stranded.
After a while, the victim recalled her male friend’s voice which sounded exactly like the suspect’s voice, making her believe that she was raped by her Facebook friend. A case is being investigated by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit buy no one has been arrested so far.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has strongly condemned the incident.
The General further cautioned communities on the risk that goes along with online dating as it might place their lives in danger or have negative repercussion for those involved in it.
