By BAKANG MOKOTO
A stepfather (33) sentenced to life imprisonment by the Tlhabane Regional Court for raping his stepdaughter (12) in Tlhabane, outside Rustenburg, on 1 June 2023. According to the North West police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda Funani, the accused got home drunk on Thursday night, and had a quarrel with the victim’s mother, who left the accused with her two children aged 5 and 12, and went to sleep at her friend’s place.
“The accused subsequently raped a girl, who was sleeping at the sitting room. The victim informed her mother of the incident when she came back the following day. As a result, the matter was reported to the police and the suspect was arrested at his home in Moruleng.
“On aggravating a maximum sentence, the Prosecutor, Adv Zola Mpayipheli said that the accused showed no remorse during the trial. He said rape is a serious offense and it will leave the child with a permanent scar on her life,” she said.
The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000).
Meanwhile, the North West Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena and the Director of Public Prosecution, Dr Rachel Makhari, hailed the life sentence handed down to the accused.
TaungDailyNews 