A man has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman he lured on social media Facebook to meet him in Odendaalsrus on Saturday - the second such arrest this weekend, the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Free State said.
It was alleged that a 25-year-old woman from Welkom travelled to Odendaalsrus to meet the man for their first meeting, Colonel Thandi Mbambo said in a statement on Sunday.
"It is further reported that the meeting took place and the male friend was wearing a face mask and not known to the lady. The victim went on to allege that the male was in possession of a knife and threatened her with it."
He pulled her towards nearby bushes at the back of Khotsong Primary School, at an open field, where he raped her at knifepoint. He reportedly gave her R20 so that she could go back to Welkom. She then went to SAPS Kutlwanong where a case of rape was opened, Mbambo said.
"During the time while the woman was busy opening a case at the police station, the woman received a call on her cellphone from her alleged rapist who wanted to apologise for what he has done to her and asked to see her once again. She was then told what to say to him by the officers on duty in order to effect an arrest."
Officers launched an operation and the suspect was "tracked strategically" with the assistance of K9 unit officers.
The 32-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with rape. He would appear in the Odendaalsrus Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Earlier on Sunday, the SAPS in the North West said an alleged serial rapist who used social media to lure his victims had been arrested in Klerksdorp,
A team consisting of Klerksdorp family violence, child protection, and sexual offences (FCS) unit and provincial organised crime unit officers arrested the 30-year-old alleged rapist on Friday, Colonel Adéle Myburgh said in a statement.
"According to information available at this stage, reports suggest that a 27-year-old victim was befriended by the suspect via Facebook. They also had conversations on WhatsApp, upon which the victim agreed to meet with the suspect in the evening on Saturday, 30 May 2020, at a grocery store in Klerksdorp
"Allegedly, the suspect who pretended to be a pastor, met with the victim as agreed and ultimately took her to an open field behind the technical high school. The victim was eventually threatened with a knife, raped, and robbed of her personal belongings," she said.
I- African News Agency (ANA)
