Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a violent home invasion and sexual assault that occurred this past weekend. A third suspect remains at large following the incident, which left a young couple traumatized and the male victim hospitalized with stab wounds.
The attack took place in the early hours of Saturday, 15 November 2025. According to allegations, a 22-year-old female student from Fouriesburg, who attends a TVET College, was asleep with her boyfriend in her rented room when the incident began.
The situation escalated when the boyfriend went outside to investigate a loud bang. Upon returning to the room, he was accosted by three armed suspects. The men, armed with knives, forced the couple into the toilet.
There, the suspects stabbed the boyfriend multiple times and demanded cash and valuable items, including cell phones, a television, a laptop, and a sound system. After robbing them, the suspects left the injured boyfriend without medical assistance and kidnapped the young woman.
The victim was then taken by her assailants to a nearby river, where all three suspects allegedly raped her. She was subsequently taken to a house in Mabolela Village and assaulted again. Later, two of the suspects left the premises, but the third suspect continued to sexually assault her.
The victim eventually managed to escape her captor by climbing through a window. She was assisted by a friend she encountered on the road, who transported her to the local police station to report the crime.
Through a swift and coordinated effort, Phuthaditjhaba Police Units and Crime Intelligence followed up on information regarding the suspects’ whereabouts. This led to the arrest of the first suspect, who was found in possession of the victim’s television. His apprehension directly led to the arrest of a second suspect.
The two arrested suspects, aged 24 and 21, are expected to appear before the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrate’s Court soon. They will face charges of house robbery, kidnapping, and rape.
Police are still searching for the third suspect