Durban - A former warrant officer from the Krugersdorp police station, Dolphina Louise Truter, who was arrested for her alleged involvement in July’s gang rape, was released with a warning by the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spoke to IOL on Thursday and revealed that the 49-year-old was charged with theft and defeating the ends of justice.
NPA Johannesburg spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane said the case was postponed to November 28.
“She was released on warning and will be back in court on November 28, as the case was postponed for further investigations.
“We can confirm as the NPA that she was part of the crew (that) was filming a music video in Krugersdorp in July when some of the women were allegedly raped,” Mjonondwane said.
Gauteng police spokesperson, Brigadier Brenda Muridili said Truter was a former warrant officer at the Krugersdorp police station.
“It was discovered by the investigating officer that the woman had in her possession property that belongs to one of the victims of rape.
“She is a former warrant officer, she was based in Krugersdorp police station,” Muridili said.
IOL reached out to Truter on Facebook to ask for her comment on the allegations that have been laid against her.
In the case that shocked the country, eight young women were gang raped while on a film shoot near an abandoned mine on the West Rand.
According to reports, some of the victims were raped by at least three men.
Police have since come down hard on the Krugersdorp area and other parts of the country where illegal mining is taking place, as the suspects behind the July gang rape are believed to be a group of zama zamas.
One of the victims told journalists that the men who approached them were wearing balaclavas and mining overalls and described them as “evil”.
The incident prompted Police Minister Bheki Cele to act against the perpetrators, and this led police to another major problem – the illegal mining of disused and abandoned mines.
The minister said on Wednesday that a highly sophisticated group of zama zamas is running illegal mining in the country.
A network of underground operations have been uncovered over the last few months, with the latest sting operation leading police to Stilfontein in the North West where 15 AK47s, six hunting rifles, two shotguns, one R5 assault rifle and 6 000 rounds of ammunition and an undisclosed amount of cash was found.
Twenty suspected illegal miners were arrested.
IOL