More than 80 people arrested after the gang rape of eight South African models appeared in court on Monday as the police minister described the attack as a “shame of the country”.
In a press briefing on Monday, Police Minister Bhiki Seele said the ugly incident that “happened in Krugersdorp is a matter of shame for the country.” Some of the victims will face long-term consequences.
“Some of the destruction of those children is permanent.”
According to the police, the gang attacked and castrated the crew while they were unloading equipment and preparing the sets.
Police have blamed illegal immigrants working in the mines – known locally as Zama zamas – and arrested 84 people during a scuffle in the area.
Two more suspects were killed and a third injured in an encounter with the police and was taken to a local hospital, police said.
On Monday, people arrested for illegally entering the country and possessing stolen goods began to appear before court.
National Police Chief Fanny Massemola said the investigation would reveal whether the suspects had links to the rape. No one has yet been charged with sexual abuse.
A small group of protesters gathered outside the court demanding speedy justice. Some called “No bail for rapists”, “Am I next?” He was holding signs while reading. and “My body is not a crime scene”.
The incident has fueled an ongoing debate about introducing chemical castration for rapists.
It has also put pressure on Celle, with critics arguing that law enforcement agencies are ill-equipped to deal with crime in the country, which has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and has recently been hit by deadly shootings.
In his Monday weekly newsletter, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that “horrific acts of cruelty are an insult to the right of women and girls to live and work in freedom and safety” as he declared “rapists have no place in our society.”
