PORT ELIZABETH – In their resolve to fight crimes against women and children, the expertise and specialised training of our Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, is critical in ensuring that perpetrators of rape and sexual abuse are removed from society for a long time.
On Wednesday, 23 September 2020, five accused aged between 19 and 24 years old were sentenced in the Port Elizabeth Regional court for the rape and kidnapping of a 25-year-old Gelvandale woman.
On 20 April 2017, the victim was on her way home from the shop in Voissen Street when she was accosted by a group of males (8 in total) who dragged her into an abandoned house in Voissen Street and gang raped her.
Five suspects were arrested on the 20 May 2017 and after appearing in court, they remained in custody for the duration of their trial. On Wednesday, 23 September 2020, the five accused were found guilty and sentenced as follows:
Luther Jansen (22) – life imprisonment
Luciano Classen (24) – life imprisonment
Furdi Classen (22) – life imprisonment
Brendon Wildskiet (23) – life imprisonment
A 19 year old teenager who was a juvenile (17) at the time of the offence was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment.
As there are continuous pleas and calls to end gender based violence, the Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Liziwe Ntshinga has welcomed these sentences handed down to these sexual offenders. ”It is very sad and disturbing to see that women cannot walk freely in their own neighbourhood and worse, is that they are attacked and raped by the very people who reside in that same neighbourhood. I commend the FCS Unit for arresting the accused persons and the prosecuting authority for ensuring that they never see the outside of prison walls for a very long time. Violence and abuse of women and children is rife and as a society we need to be intolerable to these crimes and put an end to such violations,” added Lt Gen Ntshinga.
