Johannesburg – Four people have been found guilty of the rape and murder of a lesbian couple in Mooinooi.
The Pretoria High Court has heard how Gezina and Joey van Niekerk were lured to a North West farm in December under false pretences.
Jacobus and Mercia Strydom offered to sell a portion of their land to the women.
The court heard how four men coerced van Niekerk into signing a contract with the Strydoms and then raped the couple and forced them to hand over their bank cards and their pin numbers.
The couple were killed and their bodies were alight before they were dumped in a river.
The four men were arrested and charged with charges including murder, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said: “The state was represented by two female advocates. One of the advocates said the verdict was significant because the deceased are women who were killed in a gruesome manner. The matter was remanded to 15-16 October for sentencing.”
Jacobus Strydom committed suicide while in police custody before he could be convicted.
