‘They stole my semen’

Virginia Keppler

A man who lied about being raped and robbed at gunpoint, has been charged with perjury, after a thorough investigation exposed his lies.

The man alleged that he had been held at gunpoint by two men and was forced to have protected sex with an unknown woman inside his car on Wednesday afternoon near the R21 highway.

He told police after he had been raped, his perpetrators robbed him of his semen, cash and cellphone.

Sunnyside Police spokesperson Captain Daniel Mavimbela said a methodical and effective investigation turned what could have been a protracted case on its head, when the 27-year-old Kempton Park man was nailed and charged with perjury the same evening.

“Investigations revealed that the suspect reportedly had consensual sex with a woman he had picked up in Sunnyside, shortly before he reported the case,” Mavimbela said.

He said the man appeared briefly in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court and the case was postponed to Friday.

Police have now warned people not to open false cases as they will consequently face the full might of the law.

“Prospective perjurers or liars are warned that police investigators are equipped with the expertise to detect inconsistencies and untruths from statements obtained when cases are opened. That could result in such persons being charged with perjury and subsequently having a criminal record against their names,” Mavimbela said.

The man remains in custody until his next appearance.