Sandringham High School Learner Escapes Brazen Kidnapping Attempt in Johannesburg
- A matric learner at Sandringham High School survived an alleged kidnapping attempt on Friday
- The incident reportedly happened near Lyndhurst Primary School in Johannesburg
- The 18-year-old was walking to school when four armed men travelling in a vehicle allegedly accosted her
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JOHANNESBURG - A matric learner from Sandringham High School reportedly escaped a brazen daylight kidnapping attempt in Johannesburg on Friday.
The Gauteng Department of Education said the alleged incident happened near Lyndhurst Primary School as the 18-year-old unnamed learner was walking to school, News24 reported.
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"It is to our understanding that a white Chevrolet sedan with four men reportedly drove towards her. One of the armed men then allegedly attempted to drag her into the car," said education department spokesperson Steve Mabona.
"However, she was able to fight off the man and began screaming, which alerted bystanders. At that point the suspects fled the scene."
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Mabona confirmed that a staff member thought to be from the school saw the 18-year-old safely to the premises as they were nearby.
The matter was later reported to the Sandringham police station, with the learner subsequently receiving trauma counselling, according to TimesLIVE.
2 000 kidnappings in SA in three months
The incident on Friday comes amid the release of the second quarter crime statistics announced by Police Minister Bheki Cele, which showed that 2 000 cases were reported between July to September this year.
The stats revealed that Gauteng leads with 729 kidnapping cases, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 407.
Mabona confirmed that a Grade 5 pupil who was allegedly kidnapped outside E.P. Bauman Primary School in Mayfair, Johannesburg, on Wednesday is still missing.
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"We are devastated that another learner in the province [has had to endure a] kidnapping ordeal this week. However, we are glad that the latest attempt failed," said Mabona.
Bheki Cele reacts to SA's crime statistics
In related news by Briefly News earlier, Cele delivered the latest crime statistics at a press conference where he noted that the high figures are "deeply disturbing."
In three months, 9 556 rape cases and 2 000 kidnapping cases were reported. During this time, South Africa was experiencing higher lockdown levels, which may have exacerbated the situation.
"The majority of people raped are women and those most vulnerable in our society," the minister said during the media briefing.
The number of rape cases increased by 634 from the previous quarter. Notably, 3 951 of the cases took place either in the victim or rapist's home, which indicated that the two parties knew each other prior to the incident.
Source: Briefly News
