Suspect dies in court cells after being found guilty on multiple rape charges

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A suspect has died in court cells after being found guilty on multiple rape charges.

Johannes Jojo Shabangu (35) collapsed and fell ill in the holding cells after pleading guilty to 14 charges of rape and 11 of robbery with aggravating circumstances at the Ga-Rankuwa regional court.

Shabangu was standing trial at the North West High Court when he fell ill and collapsed in a holding cell, while the court was on recess.

This was subsequent to Judge Andre Peterson receiving his guilty plea statement and subsequently finding him guilty on all charges, in accordance to the guilty plea.

Shabangu’s court appearance emanates from incidents that took place in Winterveldt, in the Odi district, between July 2012 and December 2019, wherein he together with unknown accomplices, raped and robbed multiple women of their properties.

National Prosecuting Authority’s regional spokesperson Henry Mamothame says; “The evidence contained in the indictment indicates that in some instances, Shabangu together with his accomplices, would confront couples coming from places of leisure in the evenings, threaten them with a firearm, beat up the boyfriends, rob them of their belongings and subsequently take turns to rape the female victims.

“In some instances, it emerges that they would break into homes and apply the same modus operandi. They would accost a group of women and rob them before picking on one of them to rape. The youngest of their victim was 14 years of age and her ordeal took place in June 2015.

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“In his guilty plea statement, which was read by his attorney, he took responsibility for all the charges he was facing and asked for forgiveness to his victims,” he explained.

Mamothame further added that the case was set for victim impact statements to be read in court before sentencing could be imposed, but it was rolled over to Thursday for him to receive medical attention.

“It emerged in court that Shabangu was declared dead by the paramedics and a declaration certificate was presented to Judge Peterson.

He then declared proceedings as finalised and he ordered for the death certificate to be filed with the registrar of the High Court of South; North West Division. He further ordered for an inquest docket to be registered, to determine the cause of death,” Mamothame concluded.