A woman and two men have been arrested in Intabazwe at Harrismith after they allegedly castrated the woman's boyfriend, Free State police said on Wednesday.

Sergeant Mmako Mophiring said it was alleged that the assault on the victim was instigated by his girlfriend and one of his friends.

Mophiring said the incident happened around 10pm on Monday when the 37-year-old man was on his way home after visiting a shop in Intabazwe.

"He met his girlfriend with two other men and she apparently instructed the men to assault her boyfriend."

During the struggle one man removed the victim's pants and cut off his genitals in the presence of his girlfriend.

"They left him unconscious in the street without help," Mophiring said.

The man later managed to crawl to the nearest house for help. The police were called and the man was rushed to the Mofumahadi Manapo Regional Hospital in Qwaqwa.

Residents later found the man's genitals at the scene of the assault and police were called again.

Mophiring said police arrested the two men on the same night while the woman was arrested on Tuesday.

They were expected to appear before the Harrismith Magistrate's Court on Thursday to face a charge of attempted murder.

Sapa

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