The story went viral after the ordeal was relayed in a series of tweets on social media. It was about the rape and murder of a woman in South Afrca which was later reported by the UK Independent. But it turned out those series of tweets by the supposed victim’s friends were completely fabricated- with the teenager responsible being widely praised for the elaborate hoax.
The violent tale about Kamogelo Peterson – or “Kamo” – began when @JustKuthi posted the first handful of 70 tweets on 10 January.
As the tweets continue, JustKuthi describes her friendship with Kamo; how the two treated each other like sisters, especially when Kamo’s father and real twin sister were suddenly killed in a car accident.
She talks about how they gradually drifted apart but became close again in December 2015, particularly when “Khuthi” was taken ill and admitted to hospital.
Later in the day, the tweets describe how Kamo then went missing on 7 January during a visit to the hospital. In the frantic search that followed, her car was found with its windows smashed and the driver’s seated stained in blood.
The next day police found Kamo, who they confirmed had been abducted and raped.
A South African newspaper, The Star, then picked up the story and published it – before it was discovered to be fake.
The Star’s editor, Kevin Ritchie, told News 24 that it had “slipped through on deadline” and they had not checked the story with the police.
He said: “We are red-faced and not happy with this at all. We are doing whatever we can to learn from this because this is not the journalism we pride ourselves on practicing… It is a huge lesson for us and the media industry.”
