An alleged serial rapist who lured South African women by pretending to be a pastor has been captured.
- An alleged serial rapist set up meetings with women pretending to be a pastor.
- He predominantly used Facebook and WhatsApp to allegedly entice victims.
- He then lured the women to remote meeting places and then allegedly raped them.
An alleged serial rapist who lured women by pretending to be a pastor has been captured.
The arrest was made by a high-powered, multi-agency police team comprising members of the Klerksdorp Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit and the Organised Crime Unit from the North West.
Police spokesperson Colonel Adéle Myburgh said: “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.”
‘Raped and robbed’
Myburgh continued: “In another unrelated incident in Ventersdorp, a 29-year-old victim also met the suspect via Facebook. They allegedly arranged to meet in the afternoon on Thursday, 7 November 2019 at Boikhutso Village.
“Subsequently, the suspect allegedly took the victim to an open field where he threatened her with a knife and raped her. He also robbed the victim of her personal belongings.”
Myburgh said the police action was specifically to crack down on suspects who allegedly perpetrated “acts of violence against women”. The fake pastor, aged 30, was arrested on Friday.
She said the investigation into the matter continued, and police were investigating whether the alleged rapist had abused any other women.
Myburgh said the North West provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, had “lauded the team for their diligence which resulted in the arrest”.
“He urged the public to exercise extreme caution when honouring initial appointments with potential friends, especially after meeting them through social media. Furthermore, he discouraged individuals not to meet strangers alone for the first time, but at public places where there are people who can protect one from harm.”
