A Tanzanian court sentenced four men to life in prison on Monday for a gang rape that caused national outrage after a video of the assault went viral on social media, according to prosecutors. The court, located in the capital, Dodoma, also ordered each of the accused to pay the victim one million Tanzanian shillings (about $365).
The attack occurred in May but gained widespread attention when a former local mayor posted about it on X (formerly Twitter) on August 4, prompting condemnation from human rights groups. The four men were arrested five days later and had pleaded not guilty.
The trial, which opened on August 20, was conducted behind closed doors to protect the victim, referred to only as “XY.” Renatus Mkude, an assistant director at the public prosecution office, confirmed, “The case concluded today and the four received life sentences.”
Defense attorney Godfrey Wasonga stated he was ready to appeal if the defendants requested it, citing several legal deficiencies in the charge sheet that the court allegedly overlooked.
The case gained traction after Boniface Jacob, a former mayor of Ubungo in Dar es Salaam, posted about the incident on X, tagging President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the national police force. Jacob alleged that the assailants were believed to be members of the Tanzanian armed forces, although this claim could not be verified.
The incident sparked outrage across Tanzania and led to scrutiny of the officials’ responses. The police issued an apology after Dodoma regional commander Theopista Mallya referred to the woman as “a sex worker” and suggested that the acts had been perpetrated by “ordinary drunkards.” In response, the Legal and Human Rights Centre of Tanzania stated, “Does the fact that someone is engaging in sex work justify being subjected to acts of violence like rape?”
