EIGHT models have been gang raped while filming a music video after men in balaclavas suddenly appeared on set firing shots in the air.
The group had been recording a gospel music video when they were set upon at an abandoned mine in Gauteng Province, South Africa.
The models were set upon while filming a gospel music video at an abandoned mine[/caption]
The girls tried running away but were stopped by a volley of shots fired into the air by gang.
The models were then forced to lay down when 10 more men in balaclavas appeared out of nowhere.
The gang took their mobile phones, jewellery, bags, cash and filming equipment before taking one model at a time to an undergrowth and raping them 10 times each.
The group was raped 32 times before South African police turned up and entered into a gunfight that killed two miners and injured another, according to the Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. The other 17 managed to escape.
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Cops arrested 65 other illegal miners in the area following a man hunt for the rape gang.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridil said the crew of 22 people – 12 women and 10 men – were filming a music video when they were attacked by a group of armed men wearing blankets.
It’s believed the models had come from nearby Johannesburg and had been hired for the day.
Cops recovered unlicensed firearms, explosives and items that belonged to the victims during a sting but have not yet identified all 17 men on the run.
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Police Minister Bheki Cele announced that three men had been arrested and that officers were conducting searches in nearby villages.
Meanwhile, the parents of the girls were told to drive out and collect their daughters.
The minister said: “The operation is ongoing until all of the suspects are found and the response will be serious to show the state our protection of young women is clear.
“One woman was raped 10 times and other eight another six and so on. They were all robbed and all their stuff taken including their shoes and clothes.
“Even the men were stripped with many left naked or just their underpants on.”
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
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Known as Zama Zama, the gang terrorise, rape, and rob locals, according to the Mirror.
They also venture into closed-down mines to look for gold and other valuable materials.
Category: News, World News, Crime, Police
