Aberdeen woman attacked in her home
A 57-year-old woman was subjected to a terrifying attack in her home in Aberdeen last Friday evening.
Karin van der Merwe arrived back at her house in Jackson Street, tired after a long journey from Port Elizabeth. She was preoccupied, with concerns about building work on the premises, and the need to deal with staff, as well as two new puppies to care for. She left the house briefly to take a worker home, leaving the front door and security gate closed, but not locked. Her property is on the corner of Jackson Street and Ziervogel Street, and she left her bakkie at the back gate in Ziervogel Street. When she tried to open the front door upon her return, it was bolted from the inside. She found this strange but thought perhaps one of the builders had been in the house while she was out. She was uneasy, but not unduly worried. Neighbours popped in to see the new dogs, and Karin then went into the breakfast room and had supper, still tense and unsettled after her busy day.
At about 19:30 she decided to have a bath to unwind and ran the water while sitting on the closed toilet checking messages on her phone. She started undressing at the same time and had taken her top off, when she suddenly heard loud running footsteps in the passage. The next moment a man burst into the bathroom. She sensed there was at least one other man in the house, and could feel the aggression and confidence of the men. The one who had surprised her in the bathroom did not speak, but grabbed her by the arms. Although feeling vulnerable and convinced that she was going to be killed, Karin struggled and kicked out at him, and at one point during the attack, she remembers putting her fingers into the man’s mouth to try to pull him away. She is uncertain of exactly how the struggle progressed, but at some stage her attacker inclined his head towards the door as if listening for something or someone.
She then heard another man shout out, and her attacker ran off, taking her cellphone. She ran after them, through the back door, but the men had gone. Pausing only to wrap a towel around herself, she then raced across the road to her friend and neighbour, screaming. The neighbour called the police, who arrived very quickly, and she accompanied them back to the house, with the police checking through every room in case there was still anyone hiding inside. It appears the only items stolen were her cellphone and purse. It was the early hours of the morning by the time the police left, and Karin spent the night at her friend’s house. Police returned the next day, including Aberdeen Station Commander Capt Qashani, and members of the forensics unit in Graaff-reinet. Karin was full of praise for the police, from the initial quick response to the kindness and compassion shown to her by all involved. Karin describes the man who attacked her as dark skinned, aged probably between 18 and 25. He was wearing a dark beanie, and she was able to describe the clothes and shoes he was wearing to the police. The footprint of a barefoot was found in one of the rooms, and she suspects the men entered the house when she took her worker home and had been hiding in one of the bedrooms. One of the suspects dropped his cell phone in the garden, and this was found by the police. Although there were no contacts listed, a girl who featured in many photographs on the phone is known to police and was taken in for questioning. The police have several leads that they are following up, but at this stage, no arrests have been made.
Karin was keen to share her experience to warn others, particularly women living on their own, to be more vigilant. She admits that she was preoccupied at the time of the attack, and had been lax to leave her door unlocked. “If by telling of my experience, I can prevent one other woman from being attacked in her home, it will be worth it,” she said.
She has many bruises on her body, and her confidence has taken a knock, but she is determined to be “a victor not a victim”.
Captain Qashani expressed his regret that one of his community members should experience an attack by intruders in her home. “The incident was analysed, and the finding is that these alleged unknown offenders were opportunists,” he said. He does not feel there is any further threat, or that van der Merwe was targeted specifically.
“Community members are urged to keep an eye out for their neighbours, and to report any suspicious activity to the police immediately,” he asked.