
Four men appeared in a Tanzanian court Monday, accused of a gang rape that sparked national outrage after a video of the assault circulated on social media, according to a prosecution official.
The men, whose identities were not disclosed, pleaded not guilty to charges of gang rape and sodomy of a young woman.
Assistant prosecutor Renatus Mkude spoke to reporters following the closed-door hearing in Dodoma.
Mkude announced that the four-day trial would begin Tuesday and urged “calm,” acknowledging the case’s unique nature and its impact on the public.
Public anger intensified when Boniface Jacob, a former Dar es Salaam district mayor, claimed that the attackers were Tanzanian soldiers, though no evidence was provided.
On Monday, police apologised after regional chief Theopista Mallya controversially suggested the victim was a sex worker and the attackers were merely “ordinary drunks.”
Mallya has since been reassigned. Rights groups condemned the remarks.