Four men will serve a life sentence for gang-raping a woman in 2017.
The Madadeni Regional Court found the men, aged between 25 and 28, guilty of rape, kidnapping, and robbery.
In addition to life they were handed another 20 years.
The accused, Njabulo Hadebe, 25, Sanele Ndwandwe, 27, Bhekumuzi Mdluli, 28, and Manqoba Madela, 26, stopped to give a 33-year-old woman a lift.
The victim had been hitch-hiking from Newcastle to Madadeni in January 2017 with a friend. However, according to the National Prosecuting Authority the friend did not jump into the car.
“The men stopped and gave her a lift and on the way to Madadeni, they took turns raping her.
“They then robbed her of her cellphone, tablet, and cash of R120, dropping her off at an unknown area.
“They were arrested because the victim’s friend had taken down the number plate of their vehicle,” said NPA spokesperson Natasha Kara.
Kara said the police also traced the victim’s cellphone, as the men were still using the device.
In a victim impact statement, the victim told the court that the incident had psychologically and permanently scarred her.
She told the court that she was unable to return to work and also finds it difficult to maintain relationships with men.
“The men were sentenced to life imprisonment for rape, 15 years for robbery, and five years for kidnapping. The court ordered that the sentences for robbery and kidnapping run concurrently. They will effectively serve life imprisonment,” said Kara.
The NPA welcomed the sentence, saying that s.e.xual offences and gender-based violence were a focus area.
-IOL
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