A total of 14 suspects were handed a heavy sentence by the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday, July 28, for a crime they committed on a farm in Joostenbergvlakte, Kraaifontein in December 2014.
The group was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering six men who they suspected were responsible for killing a security guard in the area. According to News 24, the suspects between the ages of 25 and 56 years old were found guilty by Judge Chantal Fortuin who sentenced them to 1 840 years imprisonment collectively. The court also ordered that some of the sentences be served simultaneously, which means the men were sentenced to an effective 255 years in prison.
Western Cape Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, advocate Nicolette Bell has welcomed the conviction but reiterated that communities should not play the judge and jury. Bell says this sentence is a clear indication that acts of vigilantism will not be tolerated by any court and the NPA will continue to assign the best prosecutors to similar cases, IOL reports.
Meanwhile, Western Cape Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, praised the efforts of the investigating team, indicating that communities should not harbour ruthless killers living among law-abiding citizens.
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