'Crime victims should leave SA'

2008-04-06 11:34

Gavin Prins

Pretoria - On Saturday they attended an emigration expo. On Monday Margot Ludik, 35, was raped by armed robbers. Her six-year-old son lay next to her on the bed while it happened.

All she could do, was to tell him, "Be quiet. Pretend to be sleeping".

During the ordeal her husband Andries, a lawyer who represents celebrities like Leon Schuster, Sonette Bridges and Louis van Wyk, and their five-year-old daughter were tied up in the bathroom of their house on a luxury estate in Kameelfontein, Pretoria.

"We want to be out of the country by the end of the month," says a determined Andries.

He has already started handing over his cases to colleagues. They are moving to Australia and the immigration agency is rushing their application.

Meanwhile, they have not yet gone back to the house.

"I have only one piece of advice for victims of crime in this country: pack up and leave as quickly as possible".

Margot could not stop crying this past week as she recalled that terrible night.

After robbers split up the family - father and daughter in the bathroom, son and mother on the bed - she thought they wouldn't hurt her. But then one of the robbers came back.

"He put his hand on my legs and said I had to open up. I couldn't, because my legs were tied. Then he climbed on me in any case."

"Fortunately, it was all over quickly".

The robbers woke them up around midnight. They asked for money and weapons. They said they were going to kill the Ludiks and hurt the children.

"Every minute it felt like a bullet was going to hit me now," said Andries.

The robbers were in their house for over two hours. Andries managed to wriggle free.

"I have to get to a hospital. I was raped," Margot then told him.

A psychologist claimed their son did not know his mother had been raped. The Ludiks' neighbours had been robbed in their home in December.

- Rapport