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Mbombela - Three Mpumalanga school youths accused of raping an 8-year-old boy two years ago, were back in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Thursday.
The youths, one aged 15 and the other two aged 16, all from Clau Clau village near White River, were arrested on November 12 2013, after a community member reportedly caught them red-handed taking turns in raping the 8-year-old.
They have not been asked to plead to rape.
The three have all applied for Legal Aid.
State prosecutor Cindy Sihlongonyane said, according to docket records, the boy was chasing a goat in Clau Clau village on September 2013 when the three youths cornered him.
“The docket said the three accused grabbed the minor and dragged him to an unused shack. Inside the shack they took a stick and forced it inside his anus. They also assaulted him by kicking him,” she said.
Sihlongonyane said on another Sunday in October, the three youngsters again attacked the boy while he was coming from church.
“The docket said they dragged him to the same unused shack where after undressing him, they took turns and inserted their private parts inside his anus. A woman who saw them walking with the minor went to investigate and caught them red-handed,” she said.
Magistrate Vanessa Joubert apologised to the three accused's parents for the delay in taking the matter to trial.
“The court is thankful for your presence before court. The case will be postponed for the purpose of further instruction to your defence,” she said.
All three accused, who cannot be named because they are also minors, were released into the custody of their parents.
The case was postponed to June 29 for trial.
