Man arrested after female UJ student forced into car on her way to campus

Police have arrested a man for allegedly abducting his ex-girlfriend while she was walking to the University of Johannesburg campus to write an exam this week.

The first year student, 18, was on her way to class at the Doornfontein campus on Tuesday morning when she was allegedly followed by her ex-boyfriend, 23, who demanded a discussion with her to resolve their issues.

When she refused, the man allegedly forcefully put her in a car and drove around Johannesburg, said spokesperson Brig Brenda Muridili.

“After the victim pleaded to be released so she could write her exam, the suspect released her after an hour and that’s when she went to the Jeppe police station to open a case. However, she was reportedly turned away,” Muridili said.

Reacting to a series of tweets by the student’s sister, campus security managed to take down the registration number of the vehicle.

UJ spokesperson Masego Panyane confirmed that the university was aware of the incident and had taken relevant steps to help the student.

“We are aware of the recent incident and assisted the student in distress. The university protection services acted swiftly and accompanied the student to the local police station, though no charges were laid,” she said.

However, the matter was brought to the attention of the Gauteng provincial commissioner, Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni, who ordered the district commissioner to take steps against the officer who allegedly turned the victim away, Muridili said.

While more people spoke out on X about similar attempted abductions at the university, Muridili said no other cases seem to have been reported.

“This is an isolated domestic violence-related incident. I am not aware of any other attempted kidnappings of young women,” she said.

Meanwhile, UJ said it prioritised the safety of students and has implemented several safety initiatives such as corridor routes for students and staff on campus, frequent educational drives on safety outside campus, encouraging students to use the crime-fighting Namola App, strict access control and 24-hour surveillance at all campuses.

“Students are encouraged to report any incidents or suspicious activities to UJ's protection services or law enforcement authorities. The university continues to work closely with the SAPS, ward councillors and others to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students,” she said.