Cape Town - A suspected serial rapist has struck again in the vicinity of Rhodes Memorial, this time holding a UCT student hostage in bushes near the famous monument for five hours while he raped her repeatedly.
The attacker eventually released the student at 1am on Friday and she managed to get to police to report the incident.
Police have told university management the attacker was described as a slender, well-spoken man in his mid-twenties wearing black pants and a hoodie.
He starts chatting to the women he preys on, before attacking them.
Thursday’s attack, which stretched into on Friday morning, was the fourth in the vicinity of Rhodes Memorial since December, and has escalated fears that more women will fall prey to the rapist.
It has prompted UCT again to urge students and staff to be extremely careful when walking off campus. University management had urged students and staff to avoid the Rhodes Memorial area.
On Friday, in a campus announcement, UCT’s acting executive director of communications, Kylie Hatton, said she was “very distressed and outraged once again to report that another female University of Cape Town student has been sexually assaulted while walking on the mountain towards Rhodes Memorial”.
“Police verify that this (latest) case appears to be the work of a serial criminal who most likely committed three other recent attacks on the mountain reported in December and January,” she said. The attacker appeared to know the mountain well.
Hatton said in the latest rape, the student had crossed the M3 bridge near Rhodes Avenue at 6pm and walked uphill towards Rhodes Memorial. As she was returning two hours later, she was attacked, dragged into nearby bushes and raped repeatedly.
“She was eventually released at about 1am,” Hatton said.
Police spokeswoman Constable Noloyiso Rwexana confirmed the attack.
She said that no arrests had yet been made.
University authorities planned to contact the student and offer her medical help as well as counselling.
“We are aware that a communication about crime, and particularly about sexual assault, may cause some people additional anxiety or personal trauma going into the academic year. If you feel you need support of any kind… counselling can be arranged to support you,” Hatton said.
Last month extra security was deployed to the bridge over the M3.
SANParks regional spokeswoman Merle Collins said previously police, along with SANParks rangers, Metro Police and security from UCT, were conducting various security operations in the area.
Weekend Argus