Rape victim held captive for ransom

2011-11-02 22:25

Johannesburg - A woman told the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday how she was repeatedly raped while held captive by a man who demanded ransom money from her father.

She was so terrified on recalling the incident when she showed police the bushes she was dragged into that she nearly fainted, the young woman said.

She had no hesitation in identifying her attacker as 27-year-old Ishmael Dudu Simelane of Mmotle Village in Hammanskraal, saying she could not forget the face of the man who did this to her.

Simelane pleaded not guilty to 25 charges, including two of rape, five of abduction, five of robbery, seven of theft and two charges of extortion.

The State alleges he had between February and July last year defrauded seven women into believing he was able to provide them with a job.

He allegedly arranged to meet them in Pretoria, but then took them to places near Soshanguve where he robbed and usually raped or indecently assaulted them.

At times, he allegedly used their bank-cards to withdraw money or in some cases extorted money from relatives while holding the women captive.

The woman said she received a phone call from Simelane in May last year.

He introduced himself as Tumelo Nchabeleng and invited her to a job interview the next day. A staged interview took place the next day with two unknown men and Simelane told her she had the job.

He then told her he needed to attend to other matters and took her along to various places.

At Makapanstad, he dragged her into the bushes where he threatened her with a broken beer bottle and raped her.

He also took her bank card and instructed her to phone her father to tell him she had been kidnapped, and that he must pay R3 800 in ransom money into her bank account.

He took her to a house, where he kept her captive, tied her up and left her in a cupboard when he went out.

He also punched her and raped her again when she at one stage managed to free herself and stabbed him with a knife.

The woman was forced to spend that night with her attacker.

She told the court when Simelane left the next morning to withdraw money from her bank account, he gagged her, and tied her hands behind her back with a wire hanger.

She was still tied up when police and her father arrived at the house and freed her.

The trial continues before Judge Jody Kollapen on Thursday.

- SAPA