Johannesburg - Family and co-workers of a 22-year-old pregnant woman who was allegedly gang-raped in the Joburg CBD in a savage attack in the early hours of Monday, said they are still in shock over the horrific incident.
Eleven men are said to have been involved.
The woman, who is two months' pregnant, was found by the police in a state of shock after being allegedly kidnapped and gang-raped by the men, according to her male co-worker who witnessed her abduction.
“What I saw hurts me, especially because she is pregnant,” he told The Star the next day.
The suspects facing charges of kidnapping and rape made their first appearance in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the accused had been remanded to next Friday, for further investigations. The suspects are all in custody at the Johannesburg Central Prison also known as Sun City.
“The estimated minimum sentence for kidnapping is 15 years' imprisonment and for rape, depending on the circumstances, it can be a life sentence,” Mjonond-
wane said.
Johannesburg Central police spokesperson Captain Xoli Mbele told The Star that the accused are foreigners between the ages of 19 and 33, who live in the building where the woman was found.
Her co-worker claimed all the accused were foreigners, but Mjonondwane said: “The State cannot confirm at this point that all the suspects are foreigners, as investigations are still under way.”
The victim's sister, who spoke to The Star yesterday, said she found out about her younger sister’s ordeal through people at the nightclub where she works.
“I don’t know how I feel I am still confused about what happened to my sister, I went to go and see her, but she wasn’t home. We don’t live together, but we work together,” she added.
“On that morning, I left work earlier than she did. This story pains me a lot,” she said.
The supervisor of the nightclub, who requested to remain anonymous, confirmed that the young woman was still recovering and had not come back to work.
He said: “I am just astonished by what happened. It's really painful what happened. She is a nice girl, she hardly goes out and for this to happen to her is terrible.
“I am not sure if she will come to work today, but I think she should take time to recover,” he said.
The Star went to the rundown building nicknamed Mnyama Ndawo, (meaning dark place), where a nearby business owner warned that the situation in the dilapidated structure was extremely dangerous.
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The Star