Johannesburg — Gauteng Provincial Commissioner of Police, Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela, has lauded members of the task team who arrested an alleged serial rapist in Putfontein, Ekurhuleni.
A 38-year-old suspect, linked to 35 cases involving multiple charges of rape and kidnapping, was arrested in Mayfield, Putfontein, on Sunday.
The youngest victim is 14 years old, according to Gauteng police spokesperson, Colonel Dimakatso Sello.
Sello said the police in Gauteng activated a task team following a spate of rapes with a similar modus operandi reported within the areas of Tembisa and Benoni; the oldest case spans as far back as September 2018.
The task team comprises members of the Investigative Psychological Section (IPS), Gauteng Serial and Electronic Crime Investigations (SECI), and detectives of the local Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) units (Benoni and Tembisa). SECI is a specialised investigation section within the provincial FCS Unit.
"According to a preliminary report, the task team had just reported for duty on Sunday morning to continue their operation to track down the alleged Tembisa/Benoni serial rapist when one of the officers noticed a vehicle matching the description of the alleged suspect," Sello said.
"The driver of the vehicle was making his way to the area in which the alleged serial rapist targeted his victims. Without hesitation, the team proceeded in the same direction, intercepted the vehicle, and arrested the suspect."
Mawela said this team’s unwavering commitment to apprehend the alleged serial rapist is commendable; they left no stone unturned.
"The message is clear — there is no room for criminals in the province. Community members can rest assured that our members remain resolute in addressing the scourge of gender-based violence," said Mawela.
The suspect is due to appear before Daveyton Magistrate’s Court today while further investigations are still under way.
The Star