Mpho Antonio Lebona, a 26-year-old security officer, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court for the rape of a 14-year-old girl.
In court it was revealed that Lebona committed the crime at a residential complex in Florida, Roodepoort, in January 2021.
The incident occurred when the victim, a resident of the complex, approached Lebona to unlock the communal washing area. With her parents at work, Lebona locked the door behind them. He raped the girl and inflicted a bite wound on her neck.
The victim managed to escape and immediately reported the assault to other residents. This led to Lebona’s swift arrest at the scene.
Rapist’s first day at residential complex job
The brutal assault took place on Lebona’s first day of employment. It has left the community reeling and the victim greatly traumatised.
The lead investigator told the court that Lebona was tasked with overseeing access to the washing area on the day of the crime.
During the trial, the victim provided a detailed and harrowing account of the assault. Regional Court prosecutor Claude Payne supported it with Victim Impact Statements from the girl and her mother.
The statements highlighted the devastating trauma, particularly the brutal loss of the victim’s virginity.
Claims of consensual sex dismissed
Lebona admitted to being with the victim but claimed their interaction was consensual.
Magistrate Thelma Simpson dismissed his testimony as entirely false and improbable, convicting him of rape.
Citing the heinous nature of the crime against a child, Simpson deemed life imprisonment the only fitting sentence.
“This sentence reflects the court’s commitment to justice for such heinous acts,” said Phindi Mjonondwane, the National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson.
“The trauma inflicted on this young girl is unimaginable. And we hope this ruling brings some measure of closure.”
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