Two accused of raping tourist at Storms River admit guilt

THE two men who raped an American teacher who was on holiday in the Tsitsikamma area pleaded guilty in the Storms River Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Juame Thorne, 26, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and his accomplice, Luwayne de Wee, 25, pleaded guilty to one count.

Both were arrested within hours of the rape and appeared in court last week. The case was postponed when the state said it intended to oppose bail.

Police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Gerda Swart said the men would appear in court again tomorrow for sentencing.

The two men chased the 47year-old American tourist – who is living in Johannesburg and cannot be named for legal reasons – while she was jogging near the Garden Route National Park in Tsitsikamma two weeks ago.

They dragged her into the nearby bushes where she was raped, according to police. The incident did not happen in the park.

Within 24 hours the woman had flown back to Johannesburg, where she teaches.

Garden Route National Park spokeswoman Nandi Mgwadlamba said security in the area had been beefed up to prevent future incidents. “It’s a move to make our visitors feel more safe.”

Mgwadlamba said they were thinking about bringing the Guides Development Programme back, which centred around using locals from Tsitsikamma’s various communities.

“The last round of the programme was so stringent that only two qualified in Tsitsikamma.

“Other initiatives include tightening security around the park and in Tsitsikamma with law enforcement agencies,” she said.