A 16-year-old girl who claimed she was raped while hitchhiking earlier this week has been charged with perjury after police investigations revealed she fabricated the entire story.
The case, which initially drew significant public attention, was investigated by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit. However, authorities soon determined that no rape had occurred. The teenager later admitted that she had visited a male friend and, fearing her parents’ reaction, invented the story about being assaulted.
In her original statement, the girl alleged that she was hitchhiking from Dullstroom to Lydenburg when two men in a black VW Polo, speaking English, offered her a ride. She claimed that after passing Coromandel, the driver took a detour into a secluded area, where she was allegedly rendered unconscious by a chemically soaked cloth. She further stated that upon waking, the passenger raped her and later offered her money, which she refused.
However, investigating officers found no evidence to support her claims, leading to her confession and subsequent perjury charge. Authorities have emphasized the serious consequences of false rape allegations, which divert resources from genuine cases and harm public trust in such reports.