When this metro cop pulled over a taxi in the middle of the night for not having its headlights on, the last thing he expected to find was a 15-year-old girl, bloody and bruised on the vehicle’s floor.
Girschen Grobbelaar, 33, and three colleagues were patrolling Parklands Main Road when he recognised the taxi driver from previous warrants.
“I know the driver of the Quantum and when I went to his window, he was wearing no shirt, sweating profusely and was out of breath. He admitted he had been drinking,” says Girschen.
“I looked in the back and there was a girl lying unconscious on the first seat in the back. Her pants were down to her knees and her top was covering her naked body. There was blood coming out of her nose. He was trying to hide her. I told the driver to get out and we contacted Table View Saps,” he recalls, shaking his head.
The girl later explained that the driver had grabbed her in the area, and raped and assaulted her.
“He was heading towards the beach and I am certain he would have continued to rape her, dump her there and maybe even kill her,” says Girschen.
The incident took place in April, and last week the city law officer was commended for saving the meisie.
He was one of more than 200 officers who were honoured for outstanding service by the City’s Safety and Security directorate.
He was surprised when his name was called out for the award.
“I actually looked around looking for Girschen Grobbelaar,” he says laughing.
“Our work is to maintain safety of the roads and protect all who use it. I am proud of this award, but I am really just doing my job.”
In 2014, Grobbelaar assisted police after a gang robbed a Sassa pay point in Elsies River.
He pursued and arrested three of the eight armed men single-handedly.