Sentencing Delivered for Cytheria Rex’s ‘Sin Bin’ Killers After 17-Year Wait

THE “Sin Bin” perpetrators of 17-year-old Cytheria Rex have been sentenced to 25 years and life imprisonment – 17 years following her brutal rape and murder.

The verdict has elicited mixed feelings from Cytheria’s mother, Jacqueline Rex, who is both relieved and saddened at the lengthy process that has taken nearly two decades.

She expressed: “Thank you, Jesus. I feel happy, yet I am also saddened. There are tears of joy. I cannot express enough gratitude to the Lord, thank you, Jesus.”

Cytheria was raped and murdered in Kraaifontein on 21 February 2009, following a party.

She endured a brutal and frenzied knife attack, and her assailants attempted to dispose of her body by throwing it over a wall.

When that attempt failed, they placed her into a wheelie bin and discarded it in a field.

At the time, Virgil Sass was 16, Oswill Grootboom was 17, Imraan Hendricks was 17, Lee Cloete was 18, and Ronwen Rhodes was 20.

Sass, Grootboom, and Hendricks received 25-year sentences.

Cloete and Rhodes were sentenced to life in prison for their involvement in Cytheria’s murder.

Two of the other accused have since passed away – Warren Robertson and Keenan Lewis.

The case faced postponements over 115 times.

Eric Ntabazalila, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), stated that the delays were inexcusable and were not due to the State.

Ntabazalila said: “We hope the family and the community find comfort in knowing that those who caused them immense pain will spend a long time in prison facing just consequences for their terrible actions.”

“The Regional Court Magistrate noted that all accused came from reputable households.

“Due to the heinous nature of the crime, the fact that three of the accused were juveniles does not lessen the severity of the offense and could not alter the sentencing.”

“This case became known as the sin bin matter due to the way the deceased was discarded into a wheelie bin.”