A 38-year-old man from Limpopo will spend the rest of his life behind bars for raping a mentally challenged woman.
He appeared before the Malamulele regional court on Thursday, where he was sentenced. During the trial, the accused whose name is concealed to protect the victim pleaded not guilty.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said the court heard that on 1 July 2017 the accused was in the homestead of the Mudavula village, with the victim’s uncle drinking alcohol in the evening.
“He saw the victim going to the pit toilet behind the house and followed her, he forcefully undressed her in the toilet and raped her. After the ordeal, he left the victim and continued drinking with her uncle. The victim came out of the toilet crying and reported the matter to her aunt. They called the police, and the accused was arrested the same day,” added Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi.
State advocate Norman Makhubele relied on DNA evidence to link the accused.
In aggravation of the sentence, the advocate submitted that the crime statistics of rape and sexual violation of women and mentally challenged persons are very high. The fact that this person was severely mentally challenged was one of the huge aggravating factors that the state relied on.
“He further said that in 2011 the victim was raped and conceived a child; however, she could not tell who the perpetrator is. She is a vulnerable victim who cannot identify the father of her child, she can’t even bathe or carry out any household duties. Her aunt is taking care of her. Therefore, the court should not deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence,” added Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi.
The NPA has welcomed the sentence and applauds the good work done by Adv. Makhubele and investigating officer, Sergeant Kenny Makhubele of Giyani Family Violence and Child Protection Unit(FCS).
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