MANKWENG: Man (24) jailed for rape of minor cousin
The man was sentenced on two counts of rape and one count of attempted rape, says the police.
POLOKWANE – A 24-year-old was this week sentenced for the rape of his cousin, who is a minor.
The victim who was 10-year-old at the time of the incident, was staying at her grandmother’s house when the incidents occurred.
Police Spokesperson, Col Moatshe Ngoepe explained that the accused had his ‘evil deeds’ when the young victim and her siblings visited their grandmother in 2017 during a festive holiday.
“The first time he attacked her was during the day while she was sleeping alone in one of the bedrooms. The following morning he had attempted again but while he was taking off her pyjamas, family members came in but did not notice anything untoward. He raped her again in the backroom of the house while the other children were playing outside. On all three occasions we threatened her to not tell anyone what had happened.”
Ngoepe said that at a later stage the victim told a friend about her ordeal who informed her mother. “The woman reported the incidents to the police and the case was assigned to Detective Sergeant Chuene Selolo, who is attached to the Saps Polokwane Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit.
“Her meticulous investigations led to the arrest of the suspect in April 2018 following a manhunt and his subsequent conviction.”
He added that during his trial the suspect was granted R2 000 bail until this week when the Mankweng Regional Court sentenced him to life imprisonment for two counts of rapes an additional eight years’ imprisonment for attempted rape. “The court also declared the accused unfit to possess a firearm,” Ngoepe said.
Provincial Police Commissioner, Lt Genk Nneke Ledwaba welcomed the sentence handed down to the perpetrator and complimented the FCS Unit in their endeavor to fight against incidents of sexual offences in the province. “All perpetrators of these crimes are warned to refrain from their heinous acts and not so, they will be dealt with harshly and without compromise and permanently removed from the society , Ledwaba concluded.
