DANGER: Woman attacked on Devil's Peak trail
Image: Take Back Our Mountain/Facebook
Police are investigatin an attempted rape after they caught a man attacking a female hiker on Table Mountain.
The 45-year-old woman was found with minor bruises and scratches on the mountain, along with a suspect.
The incident reportedly took place last Wednesday near De Waal Drive, close to Devil’s Peak.
SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed the incident saying that police are investigating the matter.
He reports: “Woodstock police registered an attempted rape case following an incident on Wednesday, 9 April 2025, at about 6pm in De Waal Drive, Woodstock, in which a 45-year-old female was accosted by an unknown suspect who also attempted to violate her.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
“We can confirm that a 42-year-old male was arrested and appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates’ court.
The National Prosecuting Authority was contacted for further comment.
Initial reports indicated that the woman was jogging when she was accosted by the suspect. Reports also stated that she was abducted and held hostage near the shooting range and quarry area on Devil's Peak, however, these claims have not been verified.
SANParks head of communication and spokesperson JP Louw confirmed that the woman was found on Devil’s Peak, after they were notified about her disappearance and a search was launched.
Louw added that SANParks have implemented a range of interventions to push back against criminal activities.
He says: “These include the use of technology, forming partnerships, increasing personnel, deploying a specialised K9 unit, to name a few.
“We conduct regular patrols and targeted operations based on the intelligence gathered from reported incidents on trails.”