More than 80 people appeared before a South African court today, Monday, after the gang rape of 8 women, which caused a major shock in this country where violent crimes are frequent, but the detainees were not charged because of the crime of rape specifically.
Last Thursday, a group of armed men stormed a music video set and raped eight young women who were part of the cast near Krugersdorp, a small town west of Johannesburg.
No one has yet been charged with the crime of gang rape, but police have charged illegal immigrants working in the mines in the area, and arrested 84 people during a raid.
Police sources said that two suspects were killed in an exchange of fire with the police, and a third was wounded.
And last Monday, the detainees were brought before a court on the grounds that they entered the country illegally and possessed stolen property.
National Police Chief Fanny Massimola said an investigation was underway to determine whether the suspects were involved in the rape.
AFP reporters reported that a small group of protesters gathered outside the court to demand justice, holding banners reading "No protection for rapists" and "Will I be the next victim?"
and "My body is not a crime scene."
And last Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa described these "horrific atrocities" as "an insult to the rights of women and young women", saying that "rapists have no place in our society."
"What happened in Krugersdorp is a disgrace to the nation," Police Minister Becky Seely told a news conference, adding that the victims would suffer the consequences "for life".
The tragedy fueled the debate in South Africa about whether chemical castration of rapists should be introduced.
It also increases pressure on the government, whose opponents say security forces are ill-equipped to fight crime in the country, which has one of the highest murder rates in the world and has recently seen bloody shootings.