Cape Town - Two friends have been sentenced to life behind bars for brutally assisting each other in raping a North West woman in front of her friend.
The victim had been dating one of the two friends, but, the ex-boyfriend assisted in the victim being brutally raped by his friend by pinning her down and violently dragging her into a bedroom.
The Itsoseng Regional Court said the convicted rapists, Tebogo Bonolo Makgisa, 25, and the rapist boyfriend Serame Mosweu, 27, were convicted and sentenced to life for rape.
The court also sentenced Mosweu to an additional three years for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, after he assaulted the victim, who was his girlfriend, by beating her with objects until she fell to the ground.
NPA regional spokesperson for the North West, Henry Mamothame, said the victim and her friend had gone to Mosweu’s house to collect a jersey when they were violently confronted by the two friends.
He said evidence which was led in court showed that the incident happened on December 6, 2017, at Bodibe village near Itsoseng.
"Upon arrival, Mosweu locked the door and told the complainant and her friend that they will spend the night at his residence. The complainant refused to stay and Mosweu assaulted her with objects until she fell down,” Mamothame said.
He also said that, Mosweu and Makgisa subsequently dragged the victim to the bedroom while her friend was watching.
Mamothame said Mosweu then pinned the victim on the floor in the bedroom and Makgisa started raping her.
Mosweu later left the bedroom and his friend continued repeatedly raping his ex-girlfriend, who was by now, weak and defenceless.
“In the morning when the complaint left the house, she collapsed on the road and she was ferried to a medical facility by members of the community.
“The matter was reported to the police and both the accused were arrested. They both pleaded not guilty to the offence,“ Mamothame said.
In aggravation of sentence, state advocate Itumeleng Boikanyo urged the court not to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence of life imprisonment.
Boikanyo had urged the court to send a strong message to other would-be rapists that such actions would receive harsh prison sentences.
“The state further argued for Mosweu to be sentenced for rape as they both acted on common purpose,” Mamothame said.
Presiding magistrate Boitumelo Chulu agreed with the state and highlighted the need for the community to have confidence in the criminal justice system.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, has lauded the team of prosecutors and the investigating officer for affording the victim and her family justice.
“This conviction will certainly demonstrate the harsh stance by the criminal justice system in dealing with the abuse of women and other vulnerable sectors of society,” she said.
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