Police are investigating more than 30 allegations of rape over a single incident (Image: Jamie Pyatt)
Dozens of men have been arrested after models filming a music video in South Africa were gang-raped.
The suspects, believed to be illegal gold miners, are accused of targeting their victims while shooting near the town of Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.
The armed attackers robbed the crew of 12 women and 10 men before going on a sexual assault spree, police said.
Officers have arrested more than eighty men, reportedly members of ‘zama-zama’ gangs operating in closed mine shafts, and have been charged locally with a range of crimes.
Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, Gauteng provincial police commissioner, said: “The 22-strong crew…were busy filming a music video when they were allegedly attacked by a group of armed men dressed in blankets.
“The suspects ordered everyone to lie down and proceeded to rape eight of the women and stole all of their belongings before fleeing the scene.”
One victim, who was involved in organizing the production, told the South African Sunday Times: “I was blaming myself, thinking that if it hadn’t been for me, these girls wouldn’t be here.”
“I felt responsible and wanted to take all the pain so they wouldn’t touch the girls.
Police have rounded up dozens of suspects after reports of the crime horrified South Africa (Photo: Jamie Pyatt) There were protests outside the local court following news of the attack (Image: AP)
“I blamed myself, thinking that if it hadn’t been for me, these girls wouldn’t be here
“The first person who was raped was me. The first time I was taken to the bush and the second time I was taken to a hole where no one could see us.
“They kept telling the younger boys to rape us and hitting them and forcing them to do it.
‘Then the boys took us, one by one, into the bushes. The last time I was raped was in front of the other group”.
A 19-year-old victim was forced to lie that she had recently suffered a miscarriage to avoid the attack, the outlet reported.
South Africa’s National Police Minister said DNA techniques would be used to ensure prosecutions against the accused.
Police say they are using forensic evidence to bring the attackers to justice (Photo: Jamie Wyatt)
More than 300 people demonstrated outside the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court on Monday to express the community’s fury at the violations.
The case has also sparked anger against illegal migrants, some of whom are said to be coming to the area to exploit South Africa’s closed mines.
Zandile Dabula, secretary general of Operation Dudula, an organization that protests against illegal immigration in South Africa, was among those who added their voice to the chorus of anger.
He said: “We are going to demand that the police station be placed under administration because the community has reported many crimes committed by the zama-zamas but nothing has been done.”
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