Two men will be spending a long time behind bars after they allegedly dragged a 20-year-old woman into the bushes and raped her in De Aar, Northern Cape.
The De Aar Regional Court sentenced Richard Johannes, 23, to 10 years of direct imprisonment, while Karolus Zolani, 23, was sentenced to 12 years of direct imprisonment for rape.
It is alleged that on Saturday, February 27, 2016, around 2pm, the 20-year-old female victim and her boyfriend were on their way home when two unknown male persons approached them and took the victim by force.
"The boyfriend was threatened by the two suspects, became scared, could do nothing, and ran away," police spokesperson Sergeant Molefi Shemane said.
"The two suspects forcefully dragged the victim into the bush, undressed her, and both raped her," Shemane said.
Shemane further added that after the two men raped the victim, they fled the scene. The victim reported the matter, and a case of rape was opened for further investigation.
"The victim, her boyfriend, and community members followed up on information that led to the arrest of the two suspects. Later DNA results linked the suspects to the rape incident," Shemane said.
Shemane also said that on Tuesday, the De Aar Regional Court convicted and sentenced Johannes to 10 years of direct imprisonment, while Zolani was also sentenced to 12 years of direct imprisonment.
"Both accused were declared unfit to possess a firearm," Shemane added.
The Provincial Commissioner of the Northern Cape, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, applauded Detective Sergeant Ilse Fan for the sterling investigative work and appreciated the community for their assistance that led to the removal of gender-based violence perpetrators from society for a lengthy period.
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