EINO VATILENI and June ShimuoshiliA 19-YEAR-OLD woman from Ondangwa was allegedly raped on Sunday by someone pretending to be musician Exit.
According to a report by Oshana police spokesperson Thomas Aiyambo, the girl met the suspect on Facebook about a month ago.
On Sunday morning, the victim and suspect met near Elcin Oshakati Church and went to a house where the suspect allegedly raped the girl and took her phone.
According to the victim, Aiyambo said, the suspect used Exit’s name and pictures during their chats, and she was under the impression she was chatting to the kwaito star.
“The suspect picked the complainant up from the taxi rank and informed her that Exit had sent him to pick her up. When they reached the house, the suspect told the victim he only used Exit’s pictures, but it was him,” Aiyambo said in the report.
The suspect allegedly threatened to harm the girl if she refused to have sex with him.
“The victim, under coercive circumstances, had sex with the suspect in the room. The suspect is not known, but the complainant can identify him,” Aiyambo said.
Contacted for comment, Exit said his mother yesterday morning told him someone had used his name to allegedly rape a teenager.
Exit said he does not know why people use his name to commit such crimes.
“Our names are used for a lot of things. This is not the first time. I do not understand why,” he said.
He said he knows young people have affection for him, and cautioned people to watch out for con artists pretending to be him.
“There’s only one Exit. Watch out for pretenders and fake social media accounts,” he said.
The ‘Die Helle Box’ hitmaker said he would register a case at the police and sue the suspect once he is arrested.
“The nature of his crime is unforgivable. Imagine the effect it had on the victim and her family. Where is the world heading to? What is this?” he asked.
Exit urged the public to contact the nearest police station if they see any suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods.
He said as a father of daughters, he wants to caution girls to be alert and to rather not take taxis at night.
Technology policy activist Nashilongo Gervasius said such incidents speak to the everyday occurrence that girls are still exposed to dangers online.
She added that within in the technology policy space, there is a lot to be done in term of raising awareness for online safety, adding that all internet users need to be vigilant as online predators do become real criminals at the end of the day.
“We don’t have laws and or visible campaigns in place that people are able to relate to. There is a lot of work to be done and until women and girls are safe online, we are still far off. We need laws in place. And girls, if it sounds too good to be true, then please talk about it to someone,” she said.
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