Johannesburg – A 47-year-old man was handed life sentence by the Lephalale Regional Court for raping three minor girls aged between 12 and 15 in the Tom-Burke policing area outside Lephalale.
In addition to serving life imprisonment sentence for rape, the accused was also sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for sexual assault and seven years imprisonment for statutory rape.
According to details shared by Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the court heard that the rape ordeal started on November 10, 2018 at the accused’s RDP house after he called the three girls to his house to cook for him.
Colonel Ledwaba said, “The accused instructed two of the girls to cook for him while he raped the other in the bedroom. He continued to rape the other victims on different days, using the same mode of operating.”
This continued until one of the victim’s educators noticed her strange behaviour and questioned her.
The victim opened up to her educator about the ordeal and the educator then informed the victims’ parents and the matter was immediately reported to the Tom-Burke police.
“Cases of rape were opened and transferred to the Lephalale Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit for further investigation. Detective Sergeant Kwena Ramahuta was assigned to investigate the cases, and the accused was tracked down and arrested on December 17, 2018,” Colonel Ledwaba said.
The accused appeared in the Phalala Magistrate’s Court on numerous occasions where the investigating officer successfully opposed bail, until he was convicted and ultimately sentenced in the Lephalale Regional Court on Thursday, November 10, 2022.
"I would like to applaud everyone who played a significant role in ensuring that the perpetrator is permanently removed from society for his horrendous acts,” said Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe.
IOL