What used to be a quiet and peaceful environment has now turned into a crime hotspot after a parolee robbed one woman and attacked two others in their home in Onrus.
This has brought the issue of parolees committing crimes once they have been released back into society under the spotlight with those involved in community safety asking that stricter requirements be instituted before a prisoner can be considered for parole.
The parolee, wanted for two cases of assault, was arrested last week. The 38-year old man’s crime spree reportedly started early on Wednesday 12 January when he accosted a woman walking her two dogs along Atlantic Drive, Onrus.
The suspect reportedly tried to grab the woman’s phone but she put up a brave fight and managed to throw her phone over the fence of Onrus Caravan Park from where it was later retrieved.
Captain Fadila September, spokesperson for the Hermanus Police, says the man allegedly held the woman and threatened to stab her.
“He reportedly lifted her up and threw her on the ground. She sustained minor injuries,” September stated.
He then took off to a house a few streets away in Arum Road, Onrus, where he gained entry at about 09:30.
“The complainant was talking to a friend on the phone when the suspect walked into the house and started assaulting her. He stabbed her in her left arm,” September reported.
“He told her to keep quiet. He then allegedly tried to rape her friend who was in the lounge.
“The suspect and the victim fought. During the struggle he beat her in the face. The woman’s friend came in and hit him with a chair. The women managed to scream for help and the suspect fled.”
Members of the local neighbourhood watch, a local security company, the police and Overstrand law enforcement responded to the scene and arrested the suspect who appeared in the Hermanus Magistrates’ Court on Friday on charges of house robbery, attempted murder, rape and assault. He is also charged with breaking his parole conditions.
Trevor Hermanus, chairperson of the Overberg Cluster Community Policing Forum, says parolees committing crimes once they have been released back into society is a common occurrence.. In 2019, Valentina Booysen was arrested on a charge of murder while out on parole. She was sentenced to 11 years behind bars after admitting that she had strangled her mother.
“We believe the Department of Correctional Services should involve CPF members with the committee that decides whether a prisoner qualifies to be released back into society.
“The Parole Board should also implement much stricter requirements for inmates to qualify for parole,” Hermanus stated. He also believes that stricter monitoring of parolees should be done. “DCS should inform the local police who can then assist in monitoring parolees. They should also consider utilising technology to track parolees’ movements,” he stated.
“The criminal justice system is failing our communities and putting them at risk by releasing offenders who have not been rehabilitated back into society.”
