Officer arrested for allegedly raping woman at provincial police office

A 51-year-old police warrant officer has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman at the provincial police headquarters in the Eastern Cape.

Police spokesperson Brig Tembinkosi Kinana said the 21-year-old woman was hitchhiking from Qonce (King William's Town) to Breidbach when a car stopped to offer her a lift.

“Near Breidbach the driver pretended to have received a call which necessitated him to drive back to the office.

“On arrival in the office, it is alleged the suspect raped the victim and later dropped her near Izele, where she found a way to escape to the police station to report the matter,” said Kinana.

Kinana said the alleged incident happened inside the police building on November 20.

The family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit managed to trace the officer to the police head office in Zwelitsha where he was arrested.

The officer was expected to appear in the Zwelitsha magistrate’s court on a rape charge on Wednesday.

Kinana said the matter had been transferred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate for further investigation.

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