Alleged sexual assault attacker gets beaten with hockey sticks

Sharing the pathway outside a Durban school turned into a nightmare for a 17-year-old schoolgirl who claims that a man allegedly groped her.

An inquiry into the alleged assault is currently under way‚ while the man has threatened to charge a group of Phoenix residents‚ mostly women‚ for apparently hitting him with hockey sticks and other items.

Phoenix police spokesperson Captain Louise Naidoo said the girl was walking to school on Tuesday morning when she informed residents that a man had lifted up her dress and touched her.

"Some members of the community then got into a vehicle and went after the man. They took him back to the scene and allegedly assaulted him‚" she said.

The man told police that he had "bumped" into the girl when he passed her on the path and that he had apologised and continued walking.

"When police arrived on scene‚ they took the suspect to his home to verify his address. The girl was taken to the police station where an inquiry was opened‚" Naidoo said.

She explained that in sexual assault cases‚ an inquiry was conducted before a recommendation was made to criminally charge suspects.

"The girl's parents were adamant that they did not want to take the matter further. They did not want an inquiry or a case to be opened‚ however we opened an inquiry which will go to court for a decision to be made‚" Naidoo said.

She said the man told police that he would open a case of assault against the residents on Wednesday.

Photographs showing a group of residents "detaining" the man at the scene have been posted on Facebook by residents and local community crime groups.