South African police chief has publicly apologised to eight rape victims after their personal details, including names, age and physical addresses, ended up on social media.
The women were raped last year while shooting a music video at an abandoned mine in Krugersdorp, a town located west of Johannesburg.
They were attacked by a gang of armed men who also robbed the video production crew. The crimes were blamed on illegal foreign miners who dig for gold in closed mines, according to local reports.
Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola said details of the victims were initially shared on internal WhatsApp groups to mobilise officers to make arrests but found their way to social media.
“The SAPS regrets the disclosure of such personal information and apologises to the victims of the dreadful crimes for the information breach and the hardship caused as a result,” he said in a statement.
Internal investigations found no ill-intent on the part of officers.
"This however still does not justify the sharing of such information," Mr Masemola added.
More than 80 suspects were arrested over the attacks but the charges were dropped for lack of evidence.
The gang rapes and robbery sparked public outrage in South Africa and demonstrators held protests outside the Krugersdorp magistrates court when the suspects were arraigned.
