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Mamelodi murders: Rape added
08/05/2006 14:00 - (SA)
Pretoria - Charges of rape and robbery were added on Monday to the three counts of murder faced by two men in the regional court accused of the killings of three girls from Mamelodi, eastern Pretoria.
"The two accused are facing three counts each of murder, rape and robbery," said prosecutor Matric Luphondo.
The two men were arrested on Friday in connection with the murder of three high school pupils, whose half naked bodies were found dumped behind a shopping complex in Mamelodi.
Police said the presence of a white substance found oozing from the girls' mouths may be an indication they were poisoned.
Tsholofelo Aphane, 19, Lerato Precious Dinisa, 18, and Lindiwe Mbonani, 19 all from Section R of Mamelodi were buried on Saturday after memorial services were held at their schools.
Mbonani was a pupil at Prosperitus High School in Eersterus while Aphane and Dinisa attended Jafta Mahlangu High School in Mamelodi.
Luphondo said the case against the two men had been postponed to May 15 to allow the pair to apply for legal aid.
One of the accused told the court he feared being killed by the community, said Luphondo, which led him to believe a bail application was unlikely.
Following the deaths, Tshwane mayor Gwen Ramokgopa visited the families of the three young women, while opposition party the Democratic Alliance said the killings underlined the need for specialised police units.
- SAPA
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