An elderly white couple in South Africa endured a nightmare at the hands of three black men after they intruded into their home and subjected them to hours of torture. The attack, which lasted at least three hours, involved severe beatings, burns inflicted with boiling water and threats of sexual violence. The attackers also used metal cutters to cut off the woman’s nipples.
According to Rekord, the victims were 67-year-old Les Brett and his 68-year-old wife, Natasha. They were attacked at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, at their home in Broederstroom, in South Africa’s North West province, approximately 60 kilometers north of Johannesburg.
The incident has caused widespread concern in the local community, as it follows a series of particularly violent attacks against exclusively white farm owners, who constitute a small minority in South Africa, within a period of less than one week.
Three hours of terror at the hands of armed men
According to information made public, the three perpetrators, whose faces were covered, broke into the couple’s home and demanded access to their safe.
When Les Brett refused to hand over the keys, the intruders subjected both victims to a brutal beating. They stripped them of their clothes, repeatedly assaulted them and caused burns by pouring boiling water over them.
During the attack, the perpetrators reportedly used metal cutters to inflict serious injuries on Natasha Brett’s nipples, while repeatedly threatening to rape her.
They also forced her husband to put the barrel of an AK-47 assault rifle into his mouth, causing injuries that, according to initial reports, may require surgical treatment.
The torture continued until the 67-year-old gave in to the attackers’ demands and handed over the keys to the safe, bringing the ordeal to an end.
The three men fled with seven firearms of various calibers, ammunition, two mobile phones, a laptop, cash and other personal belongings.
Private security response and new allegations against the police
After the attackers fled, the couple managed to alert the relevant authorities.
According to local newspaper Rekord, the SRU High Risk Security rapid-response unit received a call at around 10:30 p.m. and arrived at the home within four minutes, accompanied by paramedics.
Arthur Krew, an SRU spokesperson, said both victims had suffered burns from boiling water, injuries from severe beatings and stab wounds.
A friend of the couple, Warren Geddes, expressed his anger in a Facebook post, describing the attack on the elderly couple as “indescribably horrific.”
He also strongly criticized the way the police were handling the case, arguing that despite the duration and severity of the torture, the incident was being investigated as a “house robbery”.
He claimed that local residents recognized the three perpetrators from previous attacks, accusing the police of failing to take the necessary action again.
At the time the information was published, no arrests had been made in connection with the attack on the Brett couple.
The SRU also warned that the firearms stolen from the property could be used in further criminal activities.
For this reason, residents were urged to remain inside their homes if they noticed suspicious activity or unusual noises, and to secure their doors and windows to help security forces carry out their work.
Who is Les Brett?
Les Brett is not an ordinary farm owner. He is a former member of the special forces and the police, with many years of experience in training security personnel.
During his professional career, he has trained members of the British armed forces, British customs officers and members of the US special forces.
His training focused on wilderness survival techniques, tracking and identifying trails, as well as dealing with difficult conditions in the outdoors.
More than 20 years ago, he founded the Dung Beetle Bush School, with the aim of combating poaching and protecting wildlife.
What the police officially say
In a statement, the Hartbeespoortdam police confirmed that they were investigating a house robbery in Broederstroom, although their account differed in certain respects from the information that had been made public.
In particular, the authorities said the victims were 66 and 58 years old, whereas initial reports had identified them as a couple aged 67 and 68.
According to the police statement, three unidentified men with their faces covered entered the house on Sunday, November 1, 2026, through an unlocked wooden sliding door.
The perpetrators reportedly demanded money, claiming that they knew one of the people living at the property operated a kiosk at a nearby tourist resort.
They subsequently gained access to the safe, from which they stole seven firearms of various calibers and ammunition. According to the police, all the weapons were legally registered in the man’s name.
The authorities also confirmed that the robbers took two mobile phones, a laptop, cash and personal belongings before fleeing the scene.
However, contrary to reports of serious injuries, the police described the man’s injuries as minor.
They said the victim sought medical attention after being threatened and after the perpetrators allegedly poured hot water on him in an attempt to extract information.
Both ears cut off in another farm attack
The attack on the Brett couple took place just days after another extremely violent incident, in which 50-year-old farmer Donovan Marx was targeted at Schieferfontein, near Ventersdorp in the same province, approximately 57 kilometers from Broederstroom.
Last Wednesday, three armed, hooded men approached a farm worker while he was mowing the lawn.
After demanding to know where the owner was, they tied the worker’s hands and feet with plastic cable ties.
When Marx arrived at the farm in his red Isuzu pickup truck, two of the armed men approached him and, according to reports, shot him in the upper body.
They then dragged him inside the house, tied him up and repeatedly beat and stabbed him.
The brutality of the attack reached its peak when the perpetrators cut off both of his ears.
After searching the house, they removed three firearms from a safe and fled in the victim’s vehicle.
The worker eventually managed to free himself and alert the authorities.
The 50-year-old was taken to Mediclinic Potchefstroom Hospital in serious condition, where he underwent emergency surgery.
His family later confirmed that doctors had been forced to remove part of his colon, while they were unable to reconstruct his severed ears.
In connection with this case, police arrested two suspects in the Ventersdorp area on Saturday and another three in Promosa, near Potchefstroom, on Sunday, November 1.
Third attack in just a few days
Another incident was recorded in the early hours of the previous Tuesday in the Vaasfontein area of Hammanskraal.
Three men broke into a home, fired one shot and struck the owner on the forehead, forcing him to open his safe.
According to police spokesperson Captain Johan van Dyk, the perpetrators fled with cash and various items from the house.
The three incidents, which occurred within a period of less than one week, have heightened concerns about the safety of white residents in rural areas of South Africa.
The theft of firearms in two of the incidents has caused additional alarm, as local security services warn that the weapons now in the hands of criminal groups could be used in future attacks.
Meanwhile, the police investigation into the robbery and torture of the Brett couple remains ongoing, with authorities searching for the three perpetrators.
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