The four men accused of raping a Lentegeur boy in June will only know where they will go on trial in the new year.
Ashley Titus, 25, Yasien Sedick, 42, Rimeez Martin, 22, and Joshua Booysen, 21, are accused of raping, torturing and stabbing the 18-year-old boy after kidnapping him close to his home.
In a packed Mitchells Plain Magistrates’ Court room yesterday (Wednesday), the usually rowdy crowd went quiet as the four accused entered the dock.
The prosecutor indicated the investigation was incomplete and cops needed more time.
There was no argument from the Legal Aid defense lawyers and the matter was postponed to 13 January.
The boy’s family wants the four to be tried at the Western Cape High Court, where a judge would be able to give them a maximum sentence of life for the rape.
The accused, who were well-dressed and clean, greeted their family members as they were ushered downstairs by the court orderlies.
The teen’s aunt says while her nephew was doing relatively well, it will take years for his emotional scars to heal.
“He is doing OK. He goes to counselling, but he has yet to deal with what has happened.
“We have a long road of healing to go with him, but we will not let this vicious crime go unpunished,” she said.
The boy had been able to identify his attackers and took police to their homes.
He was kidnapped and dragged to a hokkie in one of their yards where he was repeatedly raped, tortured and threatened with death.
The accused were denied bail in September.