Brooke Makenna / 31 min
Case file
Murder of Anene Booysen

## Overview Anene Booysen (born October 30, 1995) was a 17-year-old girl living in Bredasdorp, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. On the night of February 2, 2013, after spending time at a local bar, she was gang-raped and severely mutilated at a nearby construction site. A security guard found her the following morning, alive but grievously injured, a short distance from her home. She was taken to hospital, where she died approximately six hours later.
## Attack and identification of attackers Before she died, Booysen was reportedly able to identify her attackers to police, telling them that five or six men were involved in the assault. It is unclear why police pursued charges against only one of the individuals she named.
## Prosecution Two suspects were initially arrested in connection with the case, but only one, Johannes Kana, ultimately stood trial. Kana confessed to raping Booysen and was convicted for the crime. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.
## Public reaction The case drew widespread national and international condemnation. South African President Jacob Zuma described the attack as "shocking, cruel and most inhumane." The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the country's largest labour union, called for mass action in response to rape in South Africa. Opposition parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko called for parliamentary hearings into the issue. The United Nations' office in South Africa issued a statement strongly condemning the rape and murder.
On February 13, 2013, a protest against the attack, led by musician Annie Lennox, was held at St. George's Cathedral in Cape Town. Later that year, Booysen and Reeva Steenkamp — another young South African woman killed in 2013 — were jointly named South Africa's "Persons of the Year 2013" by the Daily Maverick publication.
## Funeral A funeral service for Booysen was held at the Dutch Reformed Church in Bredasdorp, located about 128 km (80 miles) east of Cape Town, on February 9, 2013.
Key facts
- Victims
- Anene Booysen
- Date
- 2013
- Location
- Bredasdorp, Western Cape, South Africa
- Case status
- solved
Case timeline
1995-10-30
Anene Booysen is born.
2013-02-02
Booysen is gang-raped and mutilated at a construction site in Bredasdorp; found alive by a security guard the next morning and dies in hospital about six hours later.
2013-02-09
Funeral held at the Dutch Reformed Church in Bredasdorp.
2013-02-13
Protest against the attack, led by Annie Lennox, staged at St. George's Cathedral, Cape Town.
Best coverage
Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
People
Anene Booysen
VICTIM17-year-old girl gang-raped and fatally mutilated in Bredasdorp on February 2, 2013.
Johannes Kana
CONVICTEDConfessed to raping Booysen; convicted and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Places
Common questions
- What happened to the victim?
- Anene Booysen, a 17-year-old girl, was gang-raped and fatally mutilated at a construction site in Bredasdorp, South Africa, on February 2, 2013. One man, Johannes Kana, was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive life terms; Booysen had told police multiple attackers were involved.
- Where did the murder happen?
- Bredasdorp, Western Cape, South Africa.
- Who was convicted?
- Johannes Kana (Confessed to raping Booysen; convicted and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences.).
- What is the current status of the case?
- Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
Sources
- ENCYCLOPEDICMurder of Anene BooysenWikipedia · 2026-07-05
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage — BBC NewsBBC News · 2026-07-05
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The GuardianThe Guardian · 2026-07-05
Record history
- First published
- JUL 05, 2026
- Last verified against sources
- JUL 05, 2026





