Parents ‘deeply disappointed’ after son admits lying about Gautrain armed robbery
· Citizen
The parents of the 21-year-old man who fabricated a story about being robbed at gunpoint of his gadgets aboard a Gautrain say they have been left disappointed and “embarrassed” by his actions.
Visit playerbros.org for more information.
On Thursday, anti-crime activist Yusuf Ambramjee shared the incident on social media, reporting that the 21-year-old man had been robbed at gunpoint on a Gautrain on Wednesday night while travelling between Midrand and Rosebank stations.
According to the report, the man said three men pointed a gun at him and robbed him of his iPhone and AirPods.
In response, Gautrain said the matter being investigated.
“The issue has been brought to the attention of Gautrain security and a meeting is planned for tomorrow with the alleged victim,” said Gautrain on Thursday.
No Gautrain robbery
However, the matter took another turn during this meeting, as CCTV footage exposed the passenger’s false robbery allegations.
“During the engagement, the passenger and his family confirmed that the reported robbery did not occur on the Gautrain network and issued an apology to Gautrain,” said Gautrain on Saturday.
“We commend our security team for their professional handling of the matter. Gautrain takes all reports concerning passenger safety seriously and remains committed to providing a safe and secure environment across our network. Passengers can continue to travel with confidence.”
‘Embarrassed’
Following the meeting, his family issued an apology to Gautrain and South Africans, confirming that their son had lied about the scene of the incident.
“He had claimed that he was robbed at gunpoint while travelling between Centurion and Rosebank,” reads the statement shared by Abramjee.
“The CCTV footage establishes that no such incident occurred on the Gautrain. The footage shows him travelling safely to Park Station, getting off the train and leaving the station.
“He has subsequently told us that after leaving Park Station he walked towards his girlfriend’s residence and that he was robbed somewhere along that route, a distance away from the Gautrain station.”
‘No excuse’
The family said the parents could neither confirm nor deny this account, but confirmed that the Gautrain was not the scene of the incident.
“Our son has explained to us that he lied about where the alleged incident occurred because he was afraid that we, as his parents, would be angry that he had chosen to walk through an area we regard as unsafe while carrying a laptop bag, cellphone and wearing headphones, and that we might subsequently prevent him from going there. That explanation does not excuse his dishonesty.
“As his parents, we are deeply disappointed by his conduct. Sitting with Gautrain security this evening and discovering through the video evidence that our son had not been truthful was both extremely upsetting and embarrassing for us.”
The parents apologised to Gautrain, its management and security personnel for investigating a fabricated incident.
“We also apologise for any concern that the allegation may have caused passengers and members of the public.
“No robbery took place on board the Gautrain as our son originally claimed. That allegation was false, and we sincerely regret the consequences that flowed from it.”