Uncle Rapes 12 Year Old Niece

Lebogang Baingapi | Monday May 4, 2015 13:13

The court also heard how the uncle Mosepedi Mothudi of Sekoma village, raped the child after he had called her into the house while she was playing with other children. He beat the child with a stick before he raped her.  The incident happened on May 8, 2014.

The child would report the matter to a confidante who encouraged her to go and tell her mother. However the mother was reluctant to pursue the matter until the child confided to her class teacher the ordeal.  The  teacher then engaged the police and district commissioner’s office in the matter. The statement further explained that the complainant was taken to Mabutsane clinic for examination. The accused admitted before the Deputy District Commissioner and investigating officer that indeed he had sex with the complainant and claimed she  was his wife.

The  doctor who performed  the examination, testified before court  that though there were no bruises and injuries, there was visibility of discharge in the complainant’s private parts and his two fingers could easily go through. It was however clinically difficult to prove penetration as the complainant only came to the clinic after barely a week after the incident.

After the prosecution closed its case, court noted that the accused admitted that on that fateful day he called the complainant from  the neighbourhood, but when she did not answer, he went on to beat her and dragged her to his house but denied  ever having sex with her as alleged. The statement revealed that he accused the police for threatening and pressurising him to admit the offence. He blamed the witness  for influencing the complainant  to report him for rape.

Meanwhile, court marked the complainant as a credible witness based on her calmness and response to questions. However, court found it difficult to establish whether the complainant was a minor because prove of her age was never availed to court and she also could not reveal her age. The accused was found guilty on one count of rape and another date was set for the prosecution to avail his previous convictions if any, and his remand warrant was extended.