Student fights off rapist
Durban - A 22-year-old psychology student who fought off a would-be rapist during a robbery at her home, spent three days in hospital recovering from her injuries.
Her family fears she is so traumatised that she may not complete her studies this year.
Talia Paul, a third year University of KwaZulu-Natal student, was repeatedly kicked and assaulted by three men at her Chatsworth home, a week ago.
She was alone with her four-year-old sister, who is also receiving daily therapy, when the robbers broke three security gates – two pedestrian and one leading to the backyard – to get into their Kharwastan home.
The robbers locked the sisters in the bathroom before ransacking the house and stealing jewellery and other valuables.
Their father, Rev Ralph Paul, said his daughter was too traumatised to speak about her ordeal.
A psychologist advised the family to give her time to recover. She spent three days in hospital, and is undergoing trauma counselling.
“I don’t want her to relive the same incident. The physiotherapist and psychologist put her off for at least six weeks. We went to the university with her medical records. I can’t see her going back to university anytime soon” said Paul sr.
She had been attending to laundry outside her house when a knife was held to her neck, and a gun pointed at her by two of the suspects, said her father.
She was kicked, and fell to the ground before being dragged for at least eight metres into the house.
“They asked her who else was in the house. She said everyone was there. They dragged her into the house where they booted her again, and they asked her where the gold and safe was,” said Paul sr.
Dorca, Talia’s little sister, was watching TV when the robbers walked in, dragging her sister.
One of the robbers switched off the television, and took it with its speakers.
Meanwhile, Talia was being kept captive by the other two men.
“They kept on booting her while she lay on the floor. She managed to get up and ran to her sister. She was pushed to the floor again, and they kicked her back again and again,” her father said.
They locked her and Dorca in the bathroom while they ransacked the house.
Paul sr said they left his GPS and three laptops, taking only jewellery and other valuables.
“We have accumulated valuable jewellery over the years. It’s possible someone may have seen her wearing jewellery,” the minister said.
After ransacking the house, one of the men went back to the bathroom. Paul sr said the man had attempted to rape his daughter.
“He tried to pull her pants down. But he struggled to get them off. She then kicked him,” he said.
She then prayed, pleading with God to save her from the hell of rape.
“Fortunately, the other robbers called out to their accomplice. They told him it was time to go - they had what they came for,” he said.
After the robbers left, a neighbour’s maid was alerted by the girls’ screams and went to their rescue. Paul was called at his church in Umhlatuzana and told of the robbery. When he arrived, police were already taking a statement.
He said Talia was shaking like a leaf.
Paul sr said since the attack his daughter had been living in fear. For the first few days she cried a lot.
But with therapy she seems to be improving slowly.
“She has refused to leave the house. But in the next two days I plan to take her for a drive.”
He said his wife, the Reverend Sharla Paul, was “very angry. She was out at the time. She believes that if she had been at home, things could have been different”.
Talia now has to wear a neck and spine brace as a result of the injuries she suffered.
She had been kicked in the head, back and neck.
“She is on painkillers, and can’t walk well. After the first day of the attack, the sisters were afraid to sleep in their rooms, and they had to sleep together,” said Paul.
SAPS spokesman, Colonel Vincent Mdunge, confirmed the incident.
Daily News