In a case that shocked the community, 22-year-old Gavin Hendriks was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to the rape of an 18-year-old woman at the Macarina soccer field in Sunrise, De Aar, in November 2020.
The incident occurred on 27 November 2020, when the victim was walking home from an establishment. Hendriks allegedly threatened her with a knife before dragging her to the soccer field, where he undressed and sexually assaulted her. After the attack, he fled the scene, leaving the traumatized victim to seek help at a nearby house, where residents assisted her in contacting the police.
Following an investigation, Hendriks was traced and arrested. On Thursday, 22 May 2025, he appeared in the De Aar Regional Court, where he pleaded guilty and was convicted. In addition to his prison sentence, the court ordered that his name be added to the National Register for Sex Offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
