Bloemfontein- A 24-year-old soldier from the Tempe military base in the Free State has been sentenced to five years direct imprisonment for the rape of a friend.
According to police spokesperson, Sergeant Sinah Mpakane, the soldier, Sedney Nyembe, was charged with digital rape and sentenced by the Bloemfontein Regional Court on May 17.
The incident happened on March 4 last year at around 3am. According to the police statement, Nyembe had phoned the 23-year-old victim who was a friend who lived at Brandwag in a student house.
Nyembe had asked the victim if he could sleep over and said he would leave the next morning as he did not have his access key to enter the gate at the Tempe base.
Mpakane said: "He alleged that he had tried to call his friends and they did not answer their phones."
"The victim then said at night she was awakened by a suspect touching her and breathing on her neck. She asked him what he is doing but the suspect forcefully kissed her and penetrated her with his fingers," Mpakane said.
However, she pushed the suspect away and told him to leave before reporting the case the following day which led to the suspect's arrest.