MOKOPANE – The Mokopane Regional Court has sentenced Jan Matsobane Kgosana (38) to 15 years’ imprisonment for raping a 20-year-old woman in Mahwelereng in 2022.

Kgosana appeared on Tuesday where the court heard that the victim was en-route home from a local tavern in the early hours of December 15, 2022 and requested a lift to the Mahwelereng Complex.

There were three males in the back of the vehicle, two unknown to her and one known.

“Along the way, one of the unknown males grabbed her and took her to a nearby river where she was raped. The victim them reported the incident to the police and a case of rape was opened. It was then transferred to the Mahwelereng Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for further investigation, headed by Detective Sergeant Lesetja Langa,” police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said.

During the investigation, the police managed to trace the accused with the help of one of the men in the car at the time who provided details of the accused.

“The victim was able to identify the accused and he was arrested on December 20, 2022 and charged with rape. He abandoned his bail application as he was on parole for another rape case,” Ledwaba said.

The provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe welcomed the conviction and sentencing and added that it will serve as a deterrent to would-be rapists.