The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says there are prospects for a successful prosecution against the 14 people accused of the gang rape of eight women in West Village in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg, last month.
The accused are part of the more than 80 people arrested in the wake of the rape incident in which women who were part of a production crew filming a music video were accosted and sexually violated.
All the 14 accused are charged with multiple counts of rape, sexual assault, robbery with aggravated circumstances, and contravention of the Immigration Act. One of the accused is a minor who is 16 years old.
NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjondondwane says the minor will undergo a preliminary inquiry which is expected to take place on Friday.
“Remember that minors are not treated as adults and as the state we have to prove criminal capacity. But fortunately, the accused is 16, so we do not have the onus to prove that he indeed had criminal capacity at the time he committed the alleged offence. So, it is just to determine the reasons that led him to commit the alleged crime.”
She says the minor will now be separated from the case involving all the adult accused, and he is being held at a place of safety. Mjondondwane says as the NPA they do not rule out adding more suspects to the rape charge as investigations continue.
“As the NPA we had to oppose the media’s application….we still need to conduct further identity parades…we are not yet done with conducting ID parades, there are still other victims that need to attend the ID parades.”
Most of the accused that were charged with contravention of the Immigration Act, about 73 of them, appeared in different courts on Wednesday, and their cases were postponed.
“Some of them pleaded guilty already, then we also have 19 minors that appeared. Their case was postponed to 16 August. It is for checking on their previous records, to check if they have previous convictions or they have pending cases and the other cases were postponed for pleas.”
Outside court, members of various political parties and the community of Mogale City Municipality chanted slogans throughout the day, united in their call for an end to gender-based violence.
“I think there are more arrests that need to be made. But we are grateful and I think with the victims as well, it gives them peace of mind to know that it (the court) will give them justice, come what may,” says the community leader of West Village where the gang rapes happened Nicolene Trom.
ActionSA president Herman Mashaba, who also came to court to offer solidarity with the victims, says he wants the production company that was filming the music video to be investigated.
He says he has written to the police minister to ask for answers about the production company involved in the filming of the music video.
The case has been postponed to 28 September when the accused will be joined together.
SABC reporter Hasina Gori gives more details about the suspects:
