Robbery gang leader apologises for raping tourist

Cape Town - The leader of a robbery gang who raped a Camps Bay resident's friend during a two-year crime spree has apologised, saying he was drunk at the time.

The Cape Times newspaper reported that Luis Momadi, 29, apologised to Wolfgang Westendorf for raping his friend, while testifying in mitigation of sentence in the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday.

Westendorf, sitting opposite the witness stand, covered his mouth with his hand as Momadi spoke.

Momadi, Arnaldo Faife, Rogerio Laice, Sabastine Okele and Thamsanqa Mafuyawere were behind a string of crimes carried out in Camps Bay from 2006 to 2008.

Convicted

Last week the five were convicted on a variety of charges. They are yet to be sentenced and Tuesday's proceedings focused on mitigating and aggravating factors.

Momadi, who said he was a father of three and worked as a mechanic on a farm in Philippi, testified that he had confessed to raping Westendorf's friend on November 2, 2008.

Along with Faife and Laice, they broke into Westendorf's home that night, beat, gagged and bound him and his friend. Momadi then took Westendorf's friend to another room and raped her.

On Tuesday Momadi was quoted as saying by the Cape Times: "I'm aware that what I've done is a very big mistake.

"I believe (Westendorf's friend) is not coming to SA again because of that night and I'm very sorry. I was under the influence of alcohol."

The woman left the country after being raped and did not want to return.

"I believe as well that she's still traumatised… Up to now, since that night, I'm not feeling comfortable. Of course I won't be happy if such a thing happened to one of my family," Momadi said.