Robbers superglue man to bike
Andrew Meldrum in Johannesburg
Friday May 4, 2007
The Guardian
It bore all the hallmarks of just another South African crime statistic: an armed gang, an abduction in broad daylight, a victim forced to drive home so his assailants could plunder his house.
But police called to the property outside Johannesburg were perplexed by the manner in which the gang chose to immobilise their victim: they superglued him naked to an exercise bicycle, and glued his mouth shut as well.
The gang, dressed in suits and armed with handguns and an automatic assault rifle, abducted the man, in his 50s, at midday on Wednesday, according to the South African Press Association. They forced the man to drive them to his suburban home in the Midrand area, between Johannesburg and Pretoria.
"The victim was then forced to strip, after which he was superglued to the seat of an exercise bicycle. His hands were superglued, as were his feet, and then his mouth was superglued shut," said Mark Stokoe, a spokesman for Netcare 911, an emergency medical service.
The man was stuck to the bicycle as the gang robbed the house of money, valuable items and whisky, said Mr Stokoe. He was rescued about three hours later when his partner arrived home and called emergency services.
Paramedics used chemicals and petroleum jelly to crystallize the glue and pry the man's skin from the bike.
South Africa is fighting one of the world's highest crime rates, which has prompted worries that violence might mar the football World Cup, which the country is due to host in 2010. Sepp Blatter, president of the international football association, Fifa, expressed his confidence this week in South Africa successfully hosting the World Cup. "I have no doubts, not one single doubt," he said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/southafric...072012,00.html
Sticky situation to be in .....
Friday May 4, 2007
The Guardian
It bore all the hallmarks of just another South African crime statistic: an armed gang, an abduction in broad daylight, a victim forced to drive home so his assailants could plunder his house.
But police called to the property outside Johannesburg were perplexed by the manner in which the gang chose to immobilise their victim: they superglued him naked to an exercise bicycle, and glued his mouth shut as well.
The gang, dressed in suits and armed with handguns and an automatic assault rifle, abducted the man, in his 50s, at midday on Wednesday, according to the South African Press Association. They forced the man to drive them to his suburban home in the Midrand area, between Johannesburg and Pretoria.
"The victim was then forced to strip, after which he was superglued to the seat of an exercise bicycle. His hands were superglued, as were his feet, and then his mouth was superglued shut," said Mark Stokoe, a spokesman for Netcare 911, an emergency medical service.
The man was stuck to the bicycle as the gang robbed the house of money, valuable items and whisky, said Mr Stokoe. He was rescued about three hours later when his partner arrived home and called emergency services.
Paramedics used chemicals and petroleum jelly to crystallize the glue and pry the man's skin from the bike.
South Africa is fighting one of the world's highest crime rates, which has prompted worries that violence might mar the football World Cup, which the country is due to host in 2010. Sepp Blatter, president of the international football association, Fifa, expressed his confidence this week in South Africa successfully hosting the World Cup. "I have no doubts, not one single doubt," he said.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/southafric...072012,00.html
Sticky situation to be in .....
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