An 18-year-old female student from a high school in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, was located on Thursday evening, nearly two weeks after she was reported missing. The student was last seen on April 16, 2025, after attending a party with friends in Cottonlands.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) was contacted by the girl's mother at 21:51, requesting urgent assistance. Reaction Officers responded to the family home, where they were informed that three men known to the family had returned the missing teen after finding her in a Durban township.
When interviewed, the visibly disoriented student recounted a harrowing series of events. She stated that after leaving the party with four men, she and three other schoolgirls were taken to a nightclub. There, one of the girls was accused of stealing drugs. In retaliation, the group was allegedly plied with cocaine, locked in a room, and repeatedly gang raped by multiple men.
The victim told officers she could not recall specific details due to the dark environment and suspected drug use but remembered being injected in the arm frequently during her captivity. She believes she was kept at an unknown location from the day of her disappearance and is unsure if she was trafficked during that period.
Her escape came when three male schoolmates, unrelated to the incident, spotted her at a tavern in Durban. Recognizing her, they immediately brought her home.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has taken over the investigation and registered a criminal case. Sensitive details, including names and locations, have been withheld to protect the integrity of the investigation and the victim’s identity.
RUSA confirmed that body camera footage from the encounter exists but will not be released publicly in accordance with policy.