A WOMAN from Newport was raped twice at gunpoint during a terrifying ordeal in South Africa.

Julie Stevens, (pictured) 29, who left Newport just weeks ago to move to South Africa, and male friend Tinus Opperman, escap-ed with their lives after being kidnapped by an armed gang in a beauty spot in the Kruger National Park near the Opperman family home. But now Mrs Stevens has an agonising wait to learn whether she has contracted HIV from her attacker.

Their 14-hour ordeal followed her vehicle being car-jacked; she and her friend thought they would be murdered as they were bound and gagged in the back.

Their attackers crashed her car and a passing motorist who rushed to help following the accident died after being shot in the head.

South African police today confirmed that Mrs Stevens was raped and that four men have been charged with armed robbery, rape and abduction.

Mrs Stevens, formerly of Sidney Street, Newport, and once a leading light in Newport Pantomime Society, and Mr Opperman managed to escape.

Mrs Stevens, who worked in a sales office in Newport, Integra Office Solutions near the civic centre, has waived her right to anonymity as a rape victim.

A family friend in South Africa, Pete Posthumus, said: "Yes, Julie is the victim. I will be seeing her later. She's devastated by what has gone on."

A member of the pantomime society added: "Our thoughts are with her - it's awful to think what's happened to her.

"She's a bubbly girl, very pleasant, and loved her work on the stage. She joined us about five years ago and took the lead role in many productions like Peter in Peter Pan, the wicked queen in Hansel and Gretel, Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk and the Queen of Hearts in Alice.

"She only left us two years ago when she first went abroad to work. She went scuba diving - she's an adventurous sort of girl.

"We were organising a get-together of past members and were trying to contact her when we found out about the attack.

"We are all hoping her great spirit will help her get through this." Mrs Stevens' mother and father, who live in Gloucestershire, have flown out to be with her as she begins an agonising three month wait to see if her rapist has passed on the virus.

She told reporters: "I won't know for three or four months if I have the Aids virus. I can't believe life could be that unfair."

Her nightmare ordeal happened last week, one month after Mrs Stevens had returned to Newport to sell her house and say her final goodbyes.