Three friends were robbed and assaulted - but when they turned to the police, no help was forthcoming.

Last Saturday, Anne Pappenheim, Edward French and Dale Jones were walking in The Wilds botanical garden in Houghton when a man accosted them and robbed them of their clothes, cellphones, money and the keys of their car.

When the trio called the police, they found themselves disgusted by the cops' apparent indifference to the attack.

The three were enjoying an afternoon walk when a young, slender man, who was about 1,8m tall and wore jeans, a dark blue T-shirt and running shoes, pretended that he wanted to ask them a question.



'These people should not have been sent from pillar to post'
He instead brandished what looked like a folding hunting knife with a bone handle, took their cellphones, leather jackets, as well as car and house keys. The three tried to run away, but the man grabbed Pappenheim and stabbed her in the shoulder before escaping.

Jones and French took Pappenheim to hospital, where she was treated. But Pappenheim's car was left behind and they were too frightened to go back for it. French, Jones and their friend Glenda Cloete then desperately sought help from the police, but they were sent from one person to the next.

First they contacted Rosebank police station, but police there told them that The Wilds did not fall under their jurisdiction, and hung up. They then contacted Hillbrow police station and spoke to a Captain Radebe - and again got no joy.

"When I told Radebe that my friend had been stabbed, she told me that I should call an ambulance. I then told her that my friend had received medical attention but we needed to retrieve the car parked at The Wilds because the keys had been stolen by the attacker, she told me that she would call 10111 and come back to me. But she did not come back," said Cloete. And when they phoned 10111, they were told to report the matter to the metro police.

Eventually they sought help from security officers at the nearby Killarney Mall, who went with them to get the car.

'People often call me about all sorts of problems and that is ridiculous'
On Monday, they went to report the case at Parkview police station. Again the police were unwilling to register the case, but this time the trio demanded that the case be documented.

Institute of Security Studies senior researcher Duxita Mistry said the police had no reason not to take a case, even if it did not fall under their jurisdiction.

"These people should not have been sent from pillar to post, and they should raise the issue with the commissioner," she said.

Hillbrow police spokesperson Mduduzile Zondo said: "We do not often get such complaints and I do not understand why the complainant was referred to the metro police, as they do not deal with crime. We will, however, investigate the matter internally."

Although City Parks said they have guards and police randomly patrolling the city's parks, spokesperson Jenny Moodley added that visitors were responsible for their own safety.

But TJ de Klerk, who takes visitors on walks in The Wilds, said City Parks was ducking the issue by saying visitors had to ensure their own safety.

"People often call me about all sorts of problems and that is ridiculous. I am just a private resident. What if those people were tourists?" he asked.

"We have written letters to City Parks and have been waiting for a response for over a year now. There are no signs for emergency numbers and we have also asked them to erect fencing. The community are prepared to pay for it, but we are not hearing from them," De Klerk said.