Brutal knife assault leaves woman disembowelled

A woman who was brutally attacked and left disembowelled during a violent knife assault was pushed to a local clinic in a shopping trolley by her boyfriend on Saturday night.

The incident unfolded just before 8.30pm in the Tongaat CBD, when a frantic man flagged down a Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) officer on patrol along Gopalall Hurbans Road. According to RUSA spokesperson Prem Balram, the man pleaded for help, explaining that his girlfriend had been viciously attacked by a lone assailant.

“The suspect allegedly disembowelled the woman during the attack,” said Mr Balram, adding that the victim, who was in severe pain and distress, believed she was going to die from her injuries.

“Officer Jordon Tarr, who was flagged down by the man, immediately accompanied him to the scene. En route, he spotted the alleged attacker nearby. The suspect reportedly drew a knife but was swiftly tackled and arrested by Tarr,” said Balram. 

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is a parolee who had previously been convicted of murder. Mr Balram said the man had approached the woman asking for sex, and when she refused, he launched the vicious attack with a knife, slashing open her abdomen.

After handing the suspect over to the South African Police Service, Mr Tarr returned to the scene to locate the victim — only to find she was no longer there.

“She was eventually discovered outside a nearby clinic, in critical condition,” said Mr Balram. “Her boyfriend had transported her there in a shopping trolley in a desperate bid to save her life.”

The victim is currently receiving urgent medical treatment. The suspect remains in police custody.