Herdboy gets 10 years for rape, attempted rape

| Wednesday July 2, 2014 06:59

Last week, the Jwaneng Magistrate Court heard that on March 1, 2014 in Sese, Keoreeletswe accosted a 16-year-old girl, tripped her to the ground, undressed her and was on the verge of raping her when she offered him P900 in her possession. The complainant told the court that she later received a call from Jwaneng Police Station where she went and positively identified Keoreeletswe as her attacker.

Keoreeletswe was also convicted of attacking and raping a woman in the same village on March 20, 19 days after the attempted rape incident. While he pleaded guilty to the rape charge, Keoreeletswe denied he had attempted to rape the 16-year-old, saying she had instead offered him money for her freedom.

“On the day I met the complainant, I greeted her then choked and tripped her, before undressing her,” Keoreeletswe testified.

“I however released her as she promised to give me money. A day later, Jwaneng Police arrested me.” In his mitigation, the herdsboy said he was underprivileged and his family survived on assistance from social workers.

 Magistrate Keakantse said the court would consider that Keoreeletswe was a first offender and that he had pleaded guilty to one of the offences and also showed remorse.

She also considered his mitigation that he was needy and relied on assistance from social workers.