The National Prosecuting Authority says charges against 14 suspects accused of the gang rape of eight women in Krugersdorp were dropped after DNA testing could not positively link the suspects to the crime.
Eight women from a film crew were gang raped while shooting a music video at an abandoned mine dump in Westville Village in August.
The 14 suspects were charged with several counts ranging from rape, sexual assault and robbery with aggravated circumstances.
The suspects will now only face a charge of contravening the Immigration Act.
Gauteng NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwana says the accused will appear in court again next month.
“All the accused persons were excluded by the outcomes of the DNA testing, so none of them were linked via DNA. Well, we remain committed to our responsibility to deliver justice in this case and hence will we continue as the NPA to guide the investigation. All accused persons are now only facing a charge of contravention to the Immigration Act and they are back in court on the 1st of November.”
No faith in the police
The West Village Community Forum says the police are to blame for the charges being dropped against the 14 suspects.
Vice-chairperson of the forum, Andre Shannon, says the community has lost faith in the police.
“The possibility of them getting the culprits between all the zama zamas (illegal miners) is very small. They will have to do DNA tests on all the zama zamas but they don’t even bother about them. They don’t catch them but nobody trusts the police in any case and we have lost faith in the police.”
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT | In the interview below done in August, one of the Krugersdorp gang rape survivors speaks out:
