By Luvuyo Mjekula
Two men appeared in the Makhanda High Court on Tuesday facing charges of raping a Rhodes University student in March last year.
According to the indictment, the two men, a 19-year-old from Kirkwood and his 21-year-old co-accused from Gqeberha, “rescued” the student from a robber, only to drive her to a remote area near Settlers Monument and gang-rape her.
The two accused cannot be named because they have not pleaded yet. They are out on bail.
In the indictment, the state alleges that on or about 16 March 2024, the two men, acting in the furtherance of a common purpose or conspiracy, raped the student.
She and her friends had gone out in the evening, and in the early hours of the following morning, the student became separated from her friends and decided to walk back to a friend’s residence alone.
Along the way, she was robbed of her wallet and phone by an unknown man, the indictment states.
While she was begging the alleged robber to return her belongings, the two accused arrived in a vehicle.
They instructed the unknown man to return the student’s belongings and offered to take her home.
The student requested the accused, who were unknown to her, to drop her off on the university campus, but they drove with her to a secluded spot near the Settlers Monument instead.
The 21-year-old accused allegedly sat with the student in the back seat, while his co-accused drove.
The former pretended to comfort the student, but started touching and kissing her, despite her repeated requests to be taken home.
They took turns raping her despite her pleas not to harm her, according to the state.
The 19-year-old returned to the driver’s seat and started the vehicle while his co-accused allegedly remained with the student in the back seat, telling her he was sorry and that he loved her.
The driver dropped his co-accused and the student on the university campus in the vicinity of the School of Journalism and Media Studies building and drove back to his girlfriend’s flat.
The co-accused walked away.
Meanwhile, the student collapsed after walking a distance across campus. She was spotted by a passer-by who contacted campus security.
Security officers called an ambulance and, accompanied by her friend, the student was transported to Settlers Hospital.
The two men were identified and arrested following an analysis of Rhodes Campus Security video footage.
“At all material times, the accused acted in concert, with a common purpose to commit the crimes in question,” the state said in the indictment. “The victim was raped more than once, and the accused acted in the execution or furtherance of a common purpose or conspiracy.”
If convicted, the Director of Public Prosecutions calls for the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment for the two accused.
The court postponed the case to 25 August for the start of the trial.
