Twenty-three-year-old Pusoetsile Seabaneng was on Tuesday sentenced to life in prison for raping a 12-year-old.
Seabaneng appeared in the Rustenburg regional court where the sentence was handed down. The court also declared him unfit to work with children and his name will be listed in the national register for sex offenders.
The conviction emanates from an incident that took place at Photsaneng village near Rustenburg in North West on October 10 2016.
Seabaneng and his father were tenants in the family home of the 12-year-old girl, who was staying with her grandmother at the time.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Henry Mamothame said the victim’s grandmother had left Seabaneng watching TV with the complainant.
“He then moved closer to the victim, who was covering herself with a blank,” according to Mamothame.
“He subsequently undressed her without her consent while she was resisting and proceeded to rape her.
“He then left the house and proceeded to his rented room outside, leaving the child unattended. The girl reported the matter to her aunt the following day and Seabaneng was arrested and charged with rape.
“He pleaded not guilty to the offence.”
The grandmother trusted him, as he was a tenant for 10 years.
Director of public prosecutions in the North West, Rachel Makhari, lauded the prosecutor, investigating officer, and the Thuthuzela Care Centre for their collaboration to bring the accused to book.
Makhari made a call for an intensified advocacy against the scourge of rape and gender-based violence and femicide.
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