South Africa: Wcape Accused to Appear On Monday

Photo: Reinnier Kazé/IRIN
(file photo):Campaign against rape

Bredasdorp — A second man linked to the gang-rape, murder and mutilation of Bredasdorp teenager Anene Booysen would only appear in court next week, the NPA said on Friday.

"His appearance is on Monday in the Bredasdorp Magistrate's Court and not today [Friday]," National Prosecuting Authority Western Cape spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said in response to media reports.

He said once the man, aged 21, had appeared, the case would be postponed to Tuesday to coincide with the appearance of a 22-year-old man who Booysen identified shortly before she died in hospital.

He made his first court appearance earlier in the week.

Booysen was left for dead at a construction site near her home after visiting a sports bar on Friday night. She had reportedly worked as a cleaner for Asla Construction.

Her aunt Wilma Brooks wept when describing Booysen's injuries to the Cape Argus.

"Her throat had been slit, all her fingers and both legs were broken, a broken glass bottle had been lodged in her, her stomach had been cut open... That which was supposed to be inside her body lay strewn across the scene where they found her," she said.

Booysen died in hospital on Saturday afternoon.

Her death provoked outrage from all sectors of society.

The Congress of SA Trade Unions was planning to deliver a memorandum to the Bredasdorp police station after Booysen's memorial service on Sunday.

Provincial Cosatu secretary Tony Ehrenreich said they would picket outside the magistrate's court on Tuesday to support Booysen's family and "display our disgust at this cowardly act".

The Young Communist League of SA described the crimes as "stomach churning".

"We call, as an immediate measure, for a police officer in every police station nationwide to receive extra training around rape and sexual violence," spokesman Khaya Xaba said.

"It is abhorrent that women reporting rape are often met with incredulous smirks by police. Police must be seen to be taking rape very seriously."

On Thursday, President Jacob Zuma described the crime as "shocking", "cruel" and "inhumane".

"Impose the harshest sentences on such crimes, as part of a concerted campaign to end this scourge in our society," he said.

"It has no place in our country. We must never allow ourselves to get used to these acts of base criminality to our women and children."

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Comments Post a comment

  • Marisol
    Feb 9 2013, 20:30

    This was a vile, despicable, evil crime and must be punished by the harshest of means. These men (animals) had no empathy or compassion towards the young woman they gang raped, barbarically disembowelled, mutilated, and killed. Any man or juvenile who brutally rapes a woman, child or baby is an abhorrent, sick poison and scourge of society and, in the words of WCD Minister Krishna Tirath, should be hanged. Not incarcerated, but hanged. This would serve as a deterrent to the rest of these vile, despicable rapists, including juveniles, for their heinous, barbaric, savage, evil sexual crimes against women, children, and babies. Perhaps, Africa, you could learn from India? AFRICA, WHERE IS YOUR SHAME??

    Your government, with its ineptitude and complacency, has allowed these monstrous atrocities to continue for decades. In NOT dealing harshly with these heinous sexual crimes against women and children long before now, your government has caused your country to become overrun with depraved, savage, vile rapists who commit barbaric sexual crimes against women and children! AGAIN, AFRICA, WHERE IS YOUR SHAME??

InFocus

Outrage After S African Teen Raped, Mutilated

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NGOs, civil society and government have expressed outrage at the gang rape and murder of a 17-year-old girl from Bredasdorp in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Police ... Read more »