Student's alleged rapist on run for 10yrs
2011-11-02 09:10
Pretoria - The man who escaped from custody last week after being arrested for allegedly brutally raping a Tuks student has been on the run for 10 years, police say.
The three warrants of arrest that had been issued for the suspect in 2001, 2002 and 2004 were for rape and attempted murder.
Police on Tuesday released a photograph of the suspect, Tsietsi Samuel Mziza, asking for help in tracking him down.
The latest incident linked to the suspect is that of a 22-year-old University of Pretoria student who was attacked, raped and left for dead in her home in a security complex in Magalieskruin in Pretoria.
Dr Johan Burger, senior researcher with the Institute for Security Studies, said on Tuesday that someone who committed such violent crimes should at least have been on the police’s list of most wanted criminals.
“If the man is wanted since 2001 for violent crimes, his photographs should have been released much earlier so that police could try to find him,” said Burger.
Stabbed 23 times
The victim in the latest case had opened the gate of her security complex for guests to leave after Bible study when she was attacked. When she got back to her house, a man was waiting for her.
After the attack, he fled with her laptop and cellphone.
The badly injured woman dragged herself to her garden gate where another resident found her.
She was stabbed 23 times, of which eight knife wounds were potentially deadly.
Her suspected rapist was found hitchhiking at the side of the road by police.
They became suspicious because he had a laptop with him and blood on his shoes.
After his arrest, he was taken to the Dr George Mukhari hospital in Ga-Rankuwa, north of Pretoria on Friday without handcuffs or shackles after he said he felt ill.
He climbed through a toilet window and escaped.
The two police members responsible for guarding him were arrested the same day and released on warning.
They are facing charges of defeating the ends of justice and aiding escape.
People who know where Mziza is have been asked to contact Captain Alet Pratt on 082 319 3269.