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- The rape charges against the men arrested in the Krugersdorp horror gang rape have been dropped.
- DNA did not link the 14 accused to the rapes.
- The NPA says the accused now face only charges of being in South Africa unlawfully.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has withdrawn rape charges against 14 men arrested after the Krugersdorp attack that saw eight women gang raped in July.
The NPA's Phindi Mjonondwane said on Thursday that charges of rape, sexual assault, and robbery with aggravating circumstances against 13 men and a minor were dropped.
She said DNA collected from the victims did not link the accused to the crime.
"Upon consultation with the complainants, and evidential material currently at the disposal of the NPA, it became apparent that there is insufficient evidence to proceed with the prosecution," Mjonondwane said.
The men now face only charges of being in South Africa illegally.
The men were arrested after police swooped in on the area after the woman reported that they had been raped.
Mjonondwane said the women, who had already been to a doctor to extract the DNA following the rapes, were taken to an identity parade to see if any of their attackers were among the people arrested.
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During the parade, said Mjonondwane, three of the victims pointed out the men as their attackers. The other five could not identify anyone.
DNA from the men identified by the victims was taken to determine if they could be linked to the rapes.
"We decided to enrol the matter in court as we were confident that we had a prima facie case [against the men] and all that we had to do was wait for the DNA results."
According to Mjonondwane, the results did not link any of the 14 accused to the rapes.
The NPA met with the victims, who said they may have been mistaken during the identity parade.
"We can't really blame them because they were traumatised and scared at the time because they had just been raped. We understand the state they were in," said Mjonondwane.
"We are back to square one and are still investigating, looking for the suspects," she said.
READ | Krugersdorp rapes: Two months on, only 6 victims received counselling
The women were part of a crew that was filming a music video when a group of men wearing blankets and balaclavas approached them and ordered everyone to lie on their stomachs. A few minutes later more armed men joined them.
"They all had guns. It felt as if we were in a movie. They searched us, taking our cellphones, sneakers, socks, jackets, and cameras," one of the victims told City Press, adding that the men on the film crew were stripped naked.
The victim said their assailants included elderly men who forced the younger boys to participate in the rapes.
