A grade 11 pupil was held captive in a forest near Fort Grey for four hours and raped by an armed assailant while police and residents searched for her.
The unknown man had earlier stabbed her friend, a Grade 12 pupil aged 22, twice before throwing the 18-year-old over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and charging into the forest.
The attack happened about 40m from Fort Grey Primary school at Bompini location.
The two young women had ventured into the forest for the teen to relieve herself when confronted by the man, who police said was armed with a pistol and pocket knife.
They are not being named to protect the identity of the rape victim.
Residents in the quiet and tiny Bompini community said yesterday they have had to endure years of dilapidated pit toilets which were unsafe and preferred to use the forest.
Fort Grey Public School Principal Thobeka Sontlaba was teaching a Xhosa lesson to Grade 4 pupils when she heard screaming outside the school premises.
She went to investigate and saw the Grade 12 pupil, who Sontlaba had taught at Fort Grey Primary, covered in blood lying at the school entrance.
Sontlaba, who also taught the teen, said the sight had plunged the primary school into pandemonium as teachers scrambled to call police and emergency personnel while pupils were sent to fetch the girls’ relatives.
Sontlaba said they covered the injured girl, who was trembling with fear and shock, with a blanket while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
The young woman recovered enough to be able to speak and tell them what had happened.
“She said the man hid his face by pulling a stocking over his head so they could not see him clearly.
“He demanded that they hand over a cellphone.
“He tried to rape her and she fought back.
“He bashed her on the head with the handle of the firearm and stabbed her.
“She managed to get away and ran,” Sontlaba said.
The victim had then seen the man grabbing her friend, who was frozen with terror, and hauled her off into the forest as she screamed.
Members of the East London K9 Dog Unit were first on the scene followed by a large team of crime prevention officers.
Search and Rescue members were called to the scene at 2pm and began helping with the search using their dogs.
About 30 residents divided themselves into groups and entered the forest to search for the missing teen.
The search was called off shortly before 5pm after she stumbled out of the forest near Bhongweni location 2km from where she was abducted.
A resident gave her a phone and she called her aunt who took the call in the forest, where she was helping to search for her neice with police and community members.
The teen said she had been repeatedly raped but her attacker had finally released her.
Police rushed to help the young woman and learn as much information as they could about the suspect before she was taken to hospital.
East London police spokesman Colonel Mtati Tana said police had tried to trace the suspect, but had not yet found him.
He said a case of rape and assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm had been opened for investigation.
The mother of the Grade 12 learner lamented the fact that her daughter was in hospital and would miss her final business studies exam this morning.
Police were continuing their search for the suspect last night. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
Terror as 2 teens attacked
The unknown man had earlier stabbed her friend, a Grade 12 pupil aged 22, twice before throwing the 18-year-old over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and charging into the forest.
The attack happened about 40m from Fort Grey Primary school at Bompini location.
The two young women had ventured into the forest for the teen to relieve herself when confronted by the man, who police said was armed with a pistol and pocket knife.
They are not being named to protect the identity of the rape victim.
Residents in the quiet and tiny Bompini community said yesterday they have had to endure years of dilapidated pit toilets which were unsafe and preferred to use the forest.
Fort Grey Public School Principal Thobeka Sontlaba was teaching a Xhosa lesson to Grade 4 pupils when she heard screaming outside the school premises.
She went to investigate and saw the Grade 12 pupil, who Sontlaba had taught at Fort Grey Primary, covered in blood lying at the school entrance.
Sontlaba, who also taught the teen, said the sight had plunged the primary school into pandemonium as teachers scrambled to call police and emergency personnel while pupils were sent to fetch the girls’ relatives.
Sontlaba said they covered the injured girl, who was trembling with fear and shock, with a blanket while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.
The young woman recovered enough to be able to speak and tell them what had happened.
“She said the man hid his face by pulling a stocking over his head so they could not see him clearly.
“He demanded that they hand over a cellphone.
“He tried to rape her and she fought back.
“He bashed her on the head with the handle of the firearm and stabbed her.
“She managed to get away and ran,” Sontlaba said.
The victim had then seen the man grabbing her friend, who was frozen with terror, and hauled her off into the forest as she screamed.
Members of the East London K9 Dog Unit were first on the scene followed by a large team of crime prevention officers.
Search and Rescue members were called to the scene at 2pm and began helping with the search using their dogs.
About 30 residents divided themselves into groups and entered the forest to search for the missing teen.
The search was called off shortly before 5pm after she stumbled out of the forest near Bhongweni location 2km from where she was abducted.
A resident gave her a phone and she called her aunt who took the call in the forest, where she was helping to search for her neice with police and community members.
The teen said she had been repeatedly raped but her attacker had finally released her.
Police rushed to help the young woman and learn as much information as they could about the suspect before she was taken to hospital.
East London police spokesman Colonel Mtati Tana said police had tried to trace the suspect, but had not yet found him.
He said a case of rape and assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm had been opened for investigation.
The mother of the Grade 12 learner lamented the fact that her daughter was in hospital and would miss her final business studies exam this morning.
Police were continuing their search for the suspect last night. — zwangam@dispatch.co.za
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