Four men appeared in a Tanzanian court on Monday, accused of gang-raping a young woman, an incident that ignited nationwide outrage after video footage of the assault was shared on social media, according to a prosecution official.
The men, who remain unnamed, pleaded not guilty to the charges of gang rape and sodomy, as announced by assistant prosecutor Renatus Mkude following a closed-door hearing in the capital, Dodoma.
Mkude stated that the four-day trial would officially begin on Tuesday and called for calm, acknowledging the “unique” nature of the case.
Public anger surged after Boniface Jacob, a former mayor from a Dar es Salaam district, claimed the assault had been filmed and, without evidence, alleged that the perpetrators were Tanzanian soldiers.
On Monday, police issued an apology after regional police chief Theopista Mallya described the victim as a sex worker and the attackers as “ordinary drunks.” Mallya has since been reassigned.
Rights groups condemned these remarks, arguing they appeared to justify the act of rape.