The 11 men accused of raping a pregnant woman in a hijacked building on Lilian Ngoyi Street in May appeared for a second time in the Johannesburg Regional Court on 20 June.
The matter has been postponed to allow for further investigations.
The accused men who were set to appear in court via videolink from the Johannesburg Central Prison as previously reported, were, however, brought to court for proceedings. This was due to a faulty signal that made the video link from prison impossible.
The court heard that the 11 accused would receive legal aid representation. Meanwhile, they have been remanded in custody until 31 July.
The court heard that primary investigations had been completed, however, DNA evidence has not been finalised. DNA samples were sent for forensic analysis on 28 May, 12 days after the rape took place.
The men face charges of rape and kidnapping after they allegedly accosted a 22-year-old pregnant woman while she was walking home with a male colleague at about 5am on 16 May. The men are said to have assaulted the woman’s colleague at gunpoint before allegedly dragging her into the derelict building, where the rape took place.
After the incident, the Office of the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety held a candle-lit vigil at the building’s entrance on 30 May, before a court notice ordering the eviction of the building’s illegal tenants was put into effect on 6 June. The building remains unoccupied.
City Buzz will provide further updates on the matter when the 11 accused next appear in court.
