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After the rape of eight women: protest in Krugersdorp in August 2022
Photo: Shiraaz Mohamed/AP
In the July trial of the alleged gang rape of eight women in South Africa, law enforcement dropped the charges against 13 men for lack of evidence.
This was announced by a spokesman for the authorities.
Heavily armed perpetrators are said to have attacked a film crew in the village of Krugersdorp near the economic metropolis of Johannesburg that was shooting a music video in a disused mine.
The perpetrators are said to have raped a total of eight women.
Several men were then charged by the public prosecutor's office in August with multiple rapes and aggravated theft.
Now the investigating authorities want to secure further evidence before they bring charges again.
New findings should be available by November 1st.
Until then, all suspects remain in custody.
More than 80 defendants in court
According to police, the victims were between 18 and 35 years old.
A woman was raped by ten men, another by eight.
Purses, cell phones and jewelry were also stolen.
The men who were on the set were stripped naked and robbed of their belongings.
At that time, two suspects had been shot dead by the police.
In the meantime, more than 80 accused were on trial.
Police said many of the suspects were foreign workers who were illegally prospecting for gold in abandoned South African mines.
84 suspects were arrested in a raid on a disused mine.
Two other suspects were killed in a shootout with police.
A third man was taken to the hospital with injuries.
lmd/dpa