By Matṧeliso Phulane
Police are investigating a case of rape that is said to have happened at a local uptown restaurant this past weekend.
This was revealed yesterday by the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) deputy public relations officer ‘Mareabetsoe Mofoka.
Mofoka told this publication that no one has been arrested yet in connection with the alleged rape of a local social butterfly at the The Market restaurant.
This comes after the woman (name withheld) took to social media to give an account of how the alleged incident took place in one of the restaurant’s bathrooms.
The following day, she made a written post on social media relating in a graphic manner the gory details of her encounter with her alleged assailant, whose identity she also divulged.
In addition, she went on to post a video relating the same.
In a statement issued by The Market on Saturday, its management said: “The Market notes with concern, rape allegations by (the victim) through her Facebook post of today, January 20, 2024. The said post reports that she was raped in The Market toilets.
“We are extremely concerned about this issue and are committed to working with (her) as well as relevant law enforcement authorities to establish what transpired. Video camera footage will be made available as part of assisting in the investigation,” the establishment noted.
The Market declined to comment on Tuesday this week, citing the matter was under police investigation.
Mofoka confirmed that LMPS got the report on the incident on Monday this week and a case was opened for investigation the same day.
She urged women to be on the lookout for people who might take advantage of them when they are drunk.
“When you find yourself in a situation where you are heavily drunk, make sure that you are not alone because when people are heavily drunk they are no longer afraid. Therefore, I would urge people, especially women, to avoid being alone and stay in groups,” she said.
She also appealed to drinkers not to stay too late at liquor establishments as that is the time when they become vulnerable to crime.
Meanwhile, The Market’s landlord, Maseru Mall also released a statement this week expressing concern over the said incident.
“Maseru Mall is deeply concerned about the recent allegations of sexual assault made by a patron at one of our restaurants on 20 January 2024. We take these allegations very seriously, and the safety and well-being of our patrons are of utmost importance to us.
“We are actively cooperating with the authorities and conducting an internal investigation to gather all the facts surrounding this incident. We are dedicated to supporting the investigation in any way we can.
“Maseru Mall remains committed to providing a safe shopping experience for all our visitors and will take swift action to address any behavior that compromises the well-being of our patrons,” it noted.
