Picture: iStock
A 33-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment when he appeared before the Thabamoopo Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for raping a 30-year-old woman at her residence in Limpopo.
Police said that on Saturday 22 October 2022 around 10:30 pm, the accused entered the house of a 30-year-old woman believed to be the elder sister of his girlfriend. He entered the house using keys that were given to him and found the woman sleeping with her two small children.
“The victim was allegedly threatened and stabbed with a sharp object on the shoulder. Afterwards, the accused raped the victim the whole night in front of her children while she was bleeding heavily with the injury,” said police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba.
READ ALSO: ‘Show us real rape stats’: True figures higher than reported – experts
The next day, at around 5am, the accused left the premises and fled the scene.
The woman was taken to a local hospital and the incident was reported at the Lebowakgomo police station, where a rape case was opened.
Police later apprehended the suspect at his home at Mogodi village, Ga-Mphahlele, on Monday 24 October 2023.
The case was transferred to Lebowakgomo Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit for further investigations.
READ ALSO: South Africa grapples with increasing rape and abuse cases
“Warrant Officer, Phakiso Gololo was tasked to investigate the matter and through her diligence and committment to permanently remove the perpetrator from the society, bail was opposed until he was convicted last week on Friday, 10 November 2023 and sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday, 14 November 2023,” said Mashaba.