Cape Town - Sentencing proceedings in the trial of three men who kidnapped, raped and murdered student Hannah Cornelius and severely injured her friend, Cheslin Marsh in Stellenbosch last year are expected to get underway in the high court in Cape Town on Monday afternoon.
Vernon Witbooi, Geraldo Parsons and Eben van Niekerk were convicted last week of robbery, kidnapping, rape and murder. A fourth man, Nashville Julius was found guilty of robbery and kidnapping.
Marsh and Cornelius were attacked by the four men at about 3 am on May 27, 2017 while they were chatting in a car after a night out with friends.
They were threatened with a knife and a screwdriver before they were robbed and taken to an open veld where Marsh was bludgeoned with bricks and left for dead. He survived the attack. The suspects then drove off with Cornelius and took her to a secluded spot where they took turns raping her. They then drove her to a wine farm where they stabbed her to death.
Hannah Cornelius was a student at Stellenbosch University at the time of her death.
Vernon Witbooi, Geraldo Parsons and Eben van Niekerk all face possible life imprisonment after being found guilty of rape and murder. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency (ANA)
Last week, the families of the victims pleaded with the court to impose the maximum sentence on the accused.