The 11 suspects accused of raping a pregnant woman in an abandoned building located in Lilian Ngoyi Street in the Joburg CBD has been postponed.
The gang faces charges of rape and kidnapping after they allegedly accosted the 22-year-old woman, who is three-months pregnant, while she was walking home with a male colleague on 16 May at about 5am. The woman’s colleague was allegedly assaulted at gunpoint before she was dragged into the dark building where the 11 men allegedly raped her.
Appearing before the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on the day of the incident, the 11 accused, who are said to occupy the dilapidated hijacked building, were remanded in custody until 26 May.
“The case was postponed for further investigation while the suspects are being held at the Johannesburg Central Prison,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Phindi Louw. “No applications for bail have been brought forward at this stage.”
Louw added that should the accused be found guilty, they will serve mandatory sentences of 15 years for kidnapping and up to life imprisonment for gang rape.
The next court appearance date has been set for 26 May. City Buzz will provide further updates on the matter.
Express your thoughts on the matter by simply adding 079 4395 345 to your WhatsApp contact list.
