3 Men Falsely Accused of Rape and Kept Imprisoned for 2 Weeks Lose R3m Lawsuit Against Police Minister

• Three men who were falsely accused of rape tried to sue the police minister for damages and lost their claim
• They attempted to sue the state for R3 million and claimed they were kept imprisoned for two weeks unlawfully
• The judge said that police do not have to conduct a thorough investigation before suspects are arrested and held, so the cops were within their rights

PRETORIA - Three men who attempted to sue the minister of police for R3 million after they were falsely accused of rape in 2019 lost their claim for damages.

They were arrested and kept in police custody for two weeks before the charges were withdrawn.

Judge Elmarie van der Schyff told the Gauteng High Court that the police proved that the arrest was lawful. She said that police did not have to conduct a thorough investigation before the suspects were arrested, News24 reported. The judge also ruled that the police had enough grounds for making the arrest.

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The men were accused of kidnapping and raping a woman. The accused complained that they were being harassed and threatened by a man. While the trial was still ongoing, the woman made another statement saying she laid false charges against the three men. The three were kept in jail until their next court appearance despite the revelation.

After the case was officially withdrawn, the trio attempted to sue the minister but lost. The woman who accused them dropped the charges and was charged and arrested with perjury. Judge van der Schyff said she also considered the charges against the accused, although false, to be serious, according to IOL.

SA angered by ruling

South Africans believe the woman should face serious charges for lying in court:

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@MustoGraeme1 said:

“They must lay charges against the woman, in fact, the state should lock her up for 10 years.”

@ke_moetapele commented:

“What a f****d up judgement, you arrest the men, and they cannot claim anything. F****d up country.”

@Sammy_Brian posted:

“Lying under oath is a crime. She must be arrested, or the damages must be directed to her.”

@MustoGraeme1 added:

“The women must get locked up for at least 10 years. However, on 18 August, the woman made another statement to say she had laid false charges against the three.”

False rape accusations cause KZN woman to get arrested, accused of perjury

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported a 28-year-old woman from Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), told South African Police Service (SAPS) officers that she was raped by two brothers.

Upon investigating, SAPS found that the woman was lying about the incident and issued a warrant for her arrest. She was taken into police custody on Wednesday, 16 December, on perjury charges.

Source: Briefly News