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Home / World

Thugs who gang-raped and killed Hannah Cornelius attacked two more women the same night

Daily Mail
10 Nov, 2018 01:50 AM7 mins to read

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Hannah Cornelius was repeatedly raped before she was stabbed in the neck. Photo / Getty Images

Hannah Cornelius was repeatedly raped before she was stabbed in the neck. Photo / Getty Images

The thugs who gang-raped and murdered South African student Hannah Cornelius attacked two more women after killing her.

The 21-year-old student was raped repeatedly after she and her friend, 22-year-old Cheslin Marsh, were carjacked in Stellenbosch in May 2017.

Four abductors made Hannah sit between the front seats of her Volkswagen Citi Golf at the beginning of their 11-hour spree, the Daily Mail reported.

Cornelius, a second year university student, had driven her friend Cheslin Marsh home, and the pair were carjacked outside his block of flats. Photo / Supplied
Cornelius, a second year university student, had driven her friend Cheslin Marsh home, and the pair were carjacked outside his block of flats. Photo / Supplied

They took her to an isolated spot where they raped her before stabbing her in the neck and dropping a rock on her head. Cheslin survived the brutal assault, which left him deaf in one ear.

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But the rapists carried on their rampage, a video from TimesLIVE has revealed, two days after the killers were convicted.

Geraldo Parsons, 27, Vernon Witbooi, 33, and Eben van Niekerk, 28, were found guilty of the rape and murder, as well as the kidnap, robbery and attempted murder of Mr Marsh.

A fourth man, Nashville Julius, 29, was found guilty of kidnapping and robbing Ms Cornelius and Mr Marsh.

A combination of CCTV footage and police interviews titled '11 Hours, 4 Victims, 1 Hell Ride' shows how the men held a screwdriver to Hannah's breast as they commandeered her vehicle at about 3.30am.

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After killing her, they chased a woman as she walked to work in Kraaifontein and stolen her bag as well as her phone.

They kidnapped the victim and Witbooi drew out 3,000 rand (£161) from her account while she was in the back of the car.

She was freed close to the site at which Hannah was raped. The group then attacked another woman.

The video surfaced after Hannah's father, Willem Cornelius, yesterday said his wife, Anna, became a 'shadow of herself' after their daughter was killed following a night out.

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Willem Cornelius said his wife, Anna right, became a 'shadow of herself' after their daughter Hannah, left, 21, was killed. Photo / Supplied
Willem Cornelius said his wife, Anna right, became a 'shadow of herself' after their daughter Hannah, left, 21, was killed. Photo / Supplied

Addressing court today where he faced his daughter's killers, Mr Cornelius said his 'family died with Hannah'.

He said 'no-one really knows' what happened when his 56-year-old wife - once 'the strongest and most competent person I have ever met' - decided to go swimming 'in the ice-cold and stormy Atlantic Ocean'.

But he added: 'I do not believe that she committed suicide... but what I do believe is that she did not have the physical or mental strength left to counter any difficulties that she may have experienced.'

In his heartbreaking appearance in court, Mr Cornelius said the effect of his daughter's death on the family was 'beyond devastating'.

According to Time Live, Mrs Cornelius' body was found off Scarborough on the Cape Peninsula after she went for her daily swim at 7am.

A colleague with the Hannah Cornelius Foundation CEO - set up in Hannah's name - said Mrs Cornelius 'had been quite ill'.

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Foundation CEO Lily Reed said at the time: 'She had flu and a chest throat infection the whole week before. I think that added to it.'

Rescuers said they expected she had drowned. Once a magistrate, Mr Cornelius told the court he did not believe he had the impartiality to continue in the role after what had happened to his daughter.

Earlier, her aunt, Professor Eleanor Cornelius slammed the attackers for smiling throughout the case 'like they had only gotten up to mischief'.

The mother of Cheslin Marsh - who was battered with bricks and left for dead by the attackers - also took the stand and spoke directly to the men in the dock.

Vernon Witbooi, Geraldo Parsons, Eben van Niekerk and Nashville Julius during judgement on the Hannah Cornelius case last year. Photo / Getty Images
Vernon Witbooi, Geraldo Parsons, Eben van Niekerk and Nashville Julius during judgement on the Hannah Cornelius case last year. Photo / Getty Images

Marilyn Marsh said: 'Who does something like that to a person? My son did nothing to you.'

Witbooi, whom the judge revealed has a violent criminal record going back 19 years, was also filmed giving a camera a 'thumbs up' as he left Western Cape Court.

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Hannah Cornelius. Photo / Supplied
Hannah Cornelius. Photo / Supplied

The court heard that Parsons had a tattoo on his body saying 'f**k the cops' and another saying 'hungry for money, thirsty for blood'.

Another shows a baboon with a woman's face with its legs open, the court was told, according to News24.

Parsons had previously told the court during the trial that the quartet had only intended on stealing Ms Cornelius' car and that the incident spiralled after they saw the two students still inside.

He said the desperate student had bargained with them, agreeing to let the men sexually assault her - as long as they let her live.

However, several of the men brutally raped her, after which they threw her into the boot of her own car, and drove her to a secluded spot where they murdered her.

CCTV footage released during the trial shows how the incident began in the early hours of May 27, 2017.

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Four men are seen surrounded Ms Cornelius' VW Golf, parked outside the block of flats where Mr Marsh lived.

Mr Marsh says they had ended up chatting in the car, and were interrupted by a man putting a screwdriver to Ms Cornelius' chest through the open window.

They were forced out of the car, after which Mr Marsh was robbed of cash and his phone and locked in the car boot.

Hannah Cornelius' father retired judge Willem Cornelius arrives in court before the sentencing last year. Photo / Getty Images
Hannah Cornelius' father retired judge Willem Cornelius arrives in court before the sentencing last year. Photo / Getty Images

The four men forced Ms Cornelius to get back into the car with them, after which they drove to a drug dealer's home to smoke crystal meth, before they drove out of Stellenbosch and pulled over near a local vineyard.

They reportedly dragged Mr Marsh out of the boot and made him lay his head on a rock on the ground before battering his skull with bricks until they thought he was dead.

Mr Marsh recovered consciousness the following day, and staggered to a nearby home suffering severe head injuries and a broken arm to raise the alarm about Ms Cornelius.

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Unknown to him her body had been found just hours earlier, dumped by the roadside.

Cheslin Marsh was left for dead. Photo / Supplied
Cheslin Marsh was left for dead. Photo / Supplied

After the rape and murder of Ms Cornelius, the gang went on a crime spree in the hijacked car, robbing at least three women before the stolen car was spotted and a high speed police chase began.

Three were arrested after dumping the car and fleeing and the fourth was arrested later.

Eleven-hour 'hell ride' crime spree

3.23am

CCTV footage shows Hannah's Volkswagen pull into a grass patch to drop off Cheslin.

Nashville Julius, 29, Geraldo Parsons, 27, Eben Van Niekerk, 28, and Vernon Witbooi, 33, approach them after deciding to rob the pair.

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3.30am

They attack Cheslin and Hannah, holding the screwdriver to her breast. The thugs steal her purse and mobile phone as well as Cheslin's wallet, backpack and earrings.

Julius leaves the scene. The other three kidnap Hannah and Cheslin.

3.40am

They drive off with Cheslin in the back of the car and Hannah in between the front two seats.

4.34am

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Hannah is pictured alive for the last time at a petrol station. She is sat in the front passenger seat. Cheslin is in the boot.

Witbooi fails to withdraw money from Cheslin's bank account after he was given the wrong PIN. The group drive off to Kraaifontein.

5am

The men tell Hannah they will use her car to get home before letting her go.

5.30am-6am

The thugs beat Cheslin with bricks in Kraaifontein for giving them to wrong PIN. They leave him in a pool of blood.

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6am-7.30am

Hannah is taken to a secluded paintball site where the men gang-rape her before driving her 12 miles to a farm road, where they drag her out of the vehicle.

She is stabbed in the neck and a large rock is dropped on her head. The killers leave her body and drive away.

The men chase a woman who they spot walking to work in Kraaifontein, stealing her bag and phone and kidnapping her.

1.12pm

They are spotted at a petrol station in Brackenfell. Witbooi withdraws 3,000 rand (£161) from the kidnapped woman's account.

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The kidnappers free their victim close to the spot at which they raped Hannah. Van Niekerk is dropped off.

Another woman is attacked.

2.12pm

Police spot Parsons and Witbooi, chase them down and arrest them.

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