Mahikeng - An elderly woman who was tortured with boiling water and hot oil during a robbery on Thursday morning was more concerned about her husband than herself, Netwerk24 reports.

Two robbers overpowered Gwen Cooks, 74, and her 75-year-old husband Vic on their smallholding near Potchefstroom, stripped them naked and assaulted and tortured them while demanding money. Both sustained burn wounds and Vic was stabbed in his hand with a knife.

The robbers made off with a revolver and possibly a cellphone. They hadn’t been arrested by Thursday evening.

The Cooks couple’s son, Cyril, said on Thursday that “things look bad", but wouldn’t elaborate.

His parents are being treated in the Potchefstroom Provincial Hospital. They apparently don’t belong to a medical aid.

Suzette Oosthuizen, a neighbour of the Cooks who is involved in the local neighbourhood watch, said Vic’s condition was more serious than Gwen’s and he might be transferred to a bigger hospital.

“Tannie Gwen [auntie Gwen] is okay, I spoke to her in hospital,” said Oosthuizen.

“She can talk, but is just very concerned about her husband. The whole community is shocked – there aren’t many attacks on the smallholdings. The Cooks are quiet people and have been living on the plot for more than 40 years.”

Police spokesperson Captain Mvula Chaka said the attack had taken place at about 07:30 on the Cooks’ plot in the Haaskraal area.

According to him, two young men had overpowered Vic outside the house.

“It’s suspected that he was stabbed when he tried to fend them off. He was assaulted after that and was forced into the house. They also stripped him. The elderly man lost a lot of blood because of the stab wound.”

The robbers took off Gwen’s clothes in the house. Chaka said the attackers heated water and oil and poured it over the naked couple.

The two robbers stole a revolver from a safe and ran away.

