Three gangsters who kidnapped, gang-raped and held a young gay man prisoner for hours because of his sexual orientation have been found guilty and sentenced.
The court found that in 2017 Peter-John Adams (then 19), Rodney Beukes (then 20) and a then 17-year old minor jumped a fence and kidnapped the then 23-year-old victim. He had been sitting around the fire with friends when the trio jumped the fence and forcibly grabbed him and dragged him to a partially built building in Bella Vista, Ceres.
They assaulted the victim and took turns raping him. He was held in the building for hours and the perpetrators refused to let him go.
The victim managed to escape in the early hours and sought help. Four days later the three suspects, who allegedly belong to the Ford Boys gang, were arrested and charged with rape and kidnapping.
Sharon Cox, director of the Triangle Project in Cape Town, said they were relieved the case had now been concluded. She and her team assisted the victim over the course of the last four years.
Triangle Project is a non-profit human-rights organisation offering professional services to ensure the full realisation of constitutional and human rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people, their partners and families.
“The court proceedings centred on the lasting effects this crime has on rape survivors,” Cox pointed out. “The court also added that this was a crime committed because of the sexual orientation of the survivor. Emphasis was placed in this case on discrimination on the grounds of one’s sexual orientation and the injury to one’s sense of autonomy and dignity.”
Adams and Beukes were both sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for both counts and declared unfit to possess a firearm. The minor was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Cox, who attended the proceedings. said the magistrate added the victim is no less of a human because of his sexual orientation.
“This was important to be said, for the area has seen numerous hate crimes committed against the LGBTIQ+ community,” she said. “Many of them have either not had convictions or successful prosecutions. The magistrate commended the survivor for his courage in bringing the matter to court. Social stigma around the rape of men feeds into the under-reporting of male sexual violence.”
After a long four years Triangle Project too commended the survivor for his courage in this case. It also thanked the investigating officers and state prosecutors for their commitment to the case.
“The survivor added he felt this was a punishment he never asked for,” Cox said. “It took away a part of who he was. He now looks forward to pursuing a future and life plans, and had done much to reach the goals he had set back in 2017.”
The victim, who chose to remain anonymous, said: “I can now normalise my life in heaven on earth, where I currently find myself living and working.”
Police management in the Western Cape applauds Detective Sergeant Anthony John van Rooy of the Ceres Family Violence Child Protection Sexual offences Unit for his “exceptional investigative skills” in this case.
The police said that they strongly condemn homophobic attacks and any perpetrator of such crimes will face the full might of the law.
They added and said they hope this harsh sentence sends a strong message that such gruesome acts will not be tolerated in our communities.
