Cape Town - As the festive season shopping reaches its peak, Renee Simons, a 48-year-old woman from Somerset West, decided to come forward to share her chilling experience at her local mall, highlighting a great need for vigilance during holiday shopping.
The mom of two said she decided to speak up, to spread awareness and to serve as a warning. Simons recounted the unsettling events of Sunday, December 8th, between 10 and 11am.
“My son dropped me off, and I went straight to the store looking for a Secret Santa gift,” she said.
After browsing, she decided to visit a women's clothing store to find an outfit for herself.
“I tried on a dress and went into the fitting room. There was no one else in the fitting room, I'm guessing because it was early.” What started as a routine shopping trip quickly took a disturbing turn.
“When I came out, I saw this guy watching me, standing just outside the fitting room. I started to panic. He just kept staring. I went back into the cubicle,” Simons recalled.
Feeling unsafe, she trusted her instincts. “I wanted to take off the clothes, but something said, ‘Don't do it, keep the clothes on.'”
Opening the curtain again, Simons found the man still there but standing even closer to her.
“He was standing in the fitting room by the mirror where I was. I screamed! But it's like nothing happened. He just walked out of the fitting room.”
Despite her distress, the situation wasn't immediately addressed. “Eventually, the lady came, and I told her there's a man watching. They called the manager, but by this time, the man had disappeared out of the shop,” she said. However, the ordeal wasn't over. “A few minutes later, I looked across to the door, and he was standing there again. My friend, who works there, called mall security,” Simons said.
Though security was informed and descriptions were provided, the response left her frustrated.
“The mall said they cannot do anything because he left already, but they could see he was following me from the first shop into the next.”
“I cannot believe what happened,” she says. “I just feel like they're covering for their staff and the mall as a whole. What if something had happened?” she said. “They didn't even call the police. It might not have been serious for them, but it's serious for me! What went through my mind are the young girls whose parents drop them at the mall. Are they safe?” she asked.
“And that is why I am sharing my story and asking every person to be careful, especially in crowded places and when going to fitting rooms.”
Simons said she was advised that she could make a criminal case, but has decided not to. “That means I will have to go back to the mall, that means I will have to see the tapes again and how long will it take? Better to warn people then,” she said.
Somerset Mall Marketing Manager Jana Kuipers said they take the safety and security of their shoppers very seriously and have investigated the matter.
“Our internal security team reviewed all available CCTV footage covering the common areas of the mall and we were unable to identify any indication that the shoppers were intentionally followed. Please note that individual stores manage their own internal surveillance systems. Despite our engagement with the store referred to, no information has come to the fore.
“At Somerset Mall, safeguarding our shoppers remains our top priority. We maintain high-vigilance security measures, including 24/7 patrols, extensive CCTV surveillance, and close collaboration with SAPS and local law enforcement to ensure a proactive response to any safety concerns.”
Kuipers added: “On the day of the incident, the findings from the CCTV footage in the common mall areas were shared with the shopper by the security controller.
“The following morning, a family member contacted our Security Manager, who requested that we refrain from contacting the shopper. We honoured and respected this request.”