Johannesburg - A woman who had unprotected sex then lied to the police about having been raped in order to get free morning-after pills to prevent pregnancy has been fined R500.
Thembekile Verlina Sigwili, 20, was sentenced for perjury at the Emalahleni Periodical Court sitting at Vosman on Thursday.
Mpumalanga Police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said the woman went to the police on November 25 last year and reported she had been raped.
She was then taken to hospital where she was checked for DNA of the alleged rapist and also given the necessary medication to prevent HIV as well as pregnancy.
From there, Hlathi said, police went to the house of the alleged perpetrator to arrest him.
Hlathi said it later transpired the woman's story was contrary to what they uncovered during their investigations.
"We found evidence that showed that the woman had gone to the man's house to visit him and also voluntarily left the house."
Hlathi said officers went back to the woman to get more information on her claims and that was when she admitted to having had lied about the rape.
"She said she was not taken to the guy's house by force, she had not been raped and that what she told the police was a lie.
"She said she went to the man's house voluntarily and had unprotected sex with him. She said as she was worried about falling pregnant, she went to the police to make a false rape case because she knew she would be taken to the hospital and be given free morning after pills which will prevent pregnancy."
Hlathi said police took the docket to the National Prosecuting Authority and the woman was then arrested and charged with perjury. She was later released on a warning and sentenced on Thursday.
Mpumalanga Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma said he was perturbed upon hearing about the false claims made by Sigwili, saying rape was a serious crime and could not be allowed that someone made a mockery of it.
"President Cyril Ramaphosa said gender-based-violence is the second pandemic following the Coronavirus and as police we regard rape seriously.
"During the process of investigation, police had to apply technical investigative methods as well as visiting the crime scene. All these required them to use resources and time which they could have diverted these resources to authentic cases.
“I am delighted though that the police managed to unearth overwhelming evidence which exposed Sigwili on her lies,” said Zuma.
"The public should understand that police work is not just a job but forms part of the Criminal Justice System, therefore it is sad to learn that some people have the guts to approach the police and lodge false allegations. I condemn what she did however, and welcome the sentence as it serves as a deterrent," he said.