Twee jong vroue is op die aand van 6 Januarie by ’n wildreservaat aangeval, nadat twee verdagtes glo kort ná 23:00 toegang tot hulle blyplek verkry het. ‘n Kriminele saak by die plaaslike polisiekantoor oopgemaak. ,
Luidens ‘n verklaring van Brad Nathanson Investigations het die vroue, onderskeidelik 23 en 24 jaar oud, die aand sowat ’n uur nadat hulle gaan slaap het, wakker geword van twee verdagte mans in die kamer. Een verdagte het na bewering in die slaapkamer gebly terwyl die ander met die tweede slagoffer gestoei het. Die aanvallers het hul besittings deursoek en die vroue aangerand voordat hulle met selfone, skootrekenaars en ander items op die vlug geslaan het.
Daar was geen sigbare tekens van geforseerde toegang nie, wat vrae laat ontstaan oor hoe die verdagtes toegang tot die blyplek gekry het. Die vroue het daarin geslaag om deur ‘n venster uit die toegesluite eenheid weg te kom en mediese hulp te kry.
’n Inbraak- en aanrandingsaak is geopen. Die identiteit van die wildreservaat en volle name van die slagoffers word weerhou.
Lees die volledige verklaring hier onder.
BRUTAL ATTACK ON YOUNG COUPLE AT SOUTH AFRICAN GAME RESERVE RAISES DISTURBING QUESTIONS
* Detailed article to include the name of this reserve to follow. Please respect the decision at this time, not to mention the game reserve by name but follow us for the full story in the days to come.
Louise (23) and Leanne (24) have been in a committed relationship since 31 December 2025. Both work abroad and returned to South Africa to visit family. As part of their visit, they booked a short stay at a popular South African game reserve to rest and unwind.
At approximately 22h00 on Tuesday, 6 January 2026, the couple retired for the night. Roughly an hour later, at around 23h00, they awoke to find two unknown men standing at the foot of their bed, illuminating the room with torches.
One of the men shouted “Hey”. In a desperate attempt to scare them off, Leanne shouted that she had a weapon. She did not, but immediately lunged at one of the intruders, forcing him back toward the kitchen area. In the struggle, she grabbed a two-plate stove and attempted to defend herself.
The second intruder remained in the bedroom with Louise, shouting at her to “shut up” while ransacking their belongings. While the man was distracted, Louise managed to slide off the bed with her phone and called her mother, shouting that they were being attacked.
Upon hearing this, the intruder assaulted Louise with a hammer, striking her repeatedly across her body as she tried to defend herself. He then seized her phone.
Louise witnessed Leanne on the ground fighting the other intruder and heard her being choked. When Leanne noticed that the hammer had been placed down, she attempted to reach it but was beaten to it. She was then repeatedly assaulted with the hammer, including blows to her ribs and head. She sustained severe defensive wounds to her arms and hands before being choked unconscious.
Leanne later stated that while being choked, she believed she had taken her final breath and was dying.
Believing Leanne to be lifeless, the intruders screamed at Louise demanding money. Earlier that day, the couple had paid cash for fishing licences at the reserve office.
Leanne regained consciousness shortly before both women were locked inside the accommodation. The intruders fled with their phones, laptops, clothing, and other personal belongings. The keys to the accommodation were taken.
Trapped inside, injured and without assistance, the women escaped through a window, reached their vehicle, and fled the reserve to seek medical help and safety. A case was opened with the local SAPS.
There was no sign of forced entry, raising serious questions about how access to the accommodation was obtained.
The ordeal was compounded by the response from representatives of the reserve. The families were informed that photographs of the crime scene had allegedly been taken depicting the couple as being in a same-sex relationship. They were further warned that if the matter was made public and the reserve named, these images would be released to embarrass the families.
No such threat should ever replace transparency, accountability, or a commitment to uncovering the truth, particularly where the circumstances suggest this may not have been an isolated incident.
For legal reasons, the names of the victims have been changed and the identity of the game reserve is being withheld pending the exhaustion of all legal avenues.
Not only did these young women survive a violent and terrifying attack, but it appears that their trauma was compounded by conduct that raises serious concerns about discrimination, intimidation, and a failure of duty of care.
This matter remains under investigation, and there is confidence that arrests will be made.
