A local prison warder was discovered driving through Newcastle’s CBD with his traumatised victim still in the car. At 3 am on Sunday, 25 August 2024, a police officer pulled over a vehicle along Allen Street in Newcastle. This was due to the driver running a red light at the Allen Street and Murchison Street intersection.
But what seemed like a routine traffic stop soon took a sinister turn. As the car came to a halt, a woman suddenly leapt from the backseat, her face etched with terror.
According to information verified by SAPS Spokesperson, Lizzy Arumugam, the woman informed the officer that the driver had raped her and held her captive in his vehicle for some time.
Furthermore, the investigation revealed a chilling sequence of events. The woman had been enjoying a night out with friends at an establishment in Madadeni. As the evening wore on, she decided to head home and asked a man at the venue for a lift. The man, driving a VW Polo Vivo, agreed, and the woman got into the backseat of his car.
However, the journey soon became a nightmare. The driver demanded money for the ride, but the woman explained she had none. Then, the suspect veered off course, stopping his vehicle in a secluded veld on Allen Street. There, in a horrifying act of violence, he raped the woman.
The ordeal didn’t end there. The man got back into the driver’s seat, coldly continuing his drive with the woman still in the car. After a short distance, he stopped again, and raped the woman a second time. Despite her desperate pleas for release, the man showed no mercy.
The woman’s chance to escape finally came when the driver ran the red light, attracting the attention of a police officer.
When the car was pulled over, she seized the moment, leaping from the vehicle to safety. The police immediately searched the car, finding the woman’s underwear hidden under the driver’s seat and an earring that matched one the woman was wearing. The warder himself was found with bloodstains on his T-shirt and fresh scratches on his neck, further incriminating him.
The suspect, who was revealed to be a prison warder at Waterval Correctional Facility, was promptly arrested and taken into police custody.
Newcastle SAPS spokesperson Lizzy Arumugam confirmed that it is under investigation by the Newcastle Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit. The suspect made his first court appearance on Monday, 26 August 2024.
Moreover, the Department of Corrections was contacted for comment on the incident, but none was provided at the time of publication.
What are your thoughts on this deeply disturbing incident? Share your views in the comment section below.
Comments 1
May justice be served on the male….who believes he can dominate a female…..may he feel the wrath of justice……