Woman admits concealing her underage status

PINI BOTHOKO
Correspondent | Thursday July 26, 2012 00:00

Chawada Engleton (19), who was 14 years in 2007 when her two boyfriends allegedly defiled her, told the court on Monday that she did not disclose her age to the men.The two men, Otsetswe Ramaretwa (23) and Obusitse Mosalaolowa (25), both residents of Gerald Estates, appeared before Senior Magistrate Thebeetsile Mulalu on a single count of defilement each.Although they both wrote a statement of offence acknowledging having had carnal knowledge of the girl, the two men have not pleaded guilty.

Engleton admitted dating the two men and sleeping with them. She said she started dating Ramaretwa, who is the father of her child, in 2007 he was 18-years-old and she only 14. 'We started dating in January 2007 and I fell pregnant in May that year,' she said. 'I did not disclose my age to him and I did not even tell him that I was doing Standard Six at Tangala Primary School.' Engleton recalled how Ramaretwa had 'proposed' her when she was on her way to a public standpipe and how she readily accepted the proposal.

She asserted that contrary to what people thought, she was not coerced. 'After realising that I was pregnant, I told him (Ramaretwa) about the pregnancy,' she said. 'He told me to tell my parents to bring the message to his parents.'Engleton said she had an affair with Mosalaolowa before dating Ramaretwa, who is the father of her 4-year-old child. A state witness in the case, Chawada's mother Selapeng Engleton (41), said she left her three children alone in May 2007 to work at Pandamatenga Farms.'On my arrival in July that same year, I found Chawada not as energetic as always,' the mother said. 'She cried all the time. I questioned her but she refused to tell me her problem. It came to a point when I discovered that she was pregnant.' 

Chawada then told her mother who was responsible. Chawada's teacher, who had encouraged the girl to report the pregnancy, called her mother for advice. Said the mother in court:'I did not report the matter because the damage was already done. There was no use for me to report the matter.' After stepping into the dock, Mosalaolowa said he had dated Chawada unaware of her age.Magistrate Mulalu then said forensic testes had proved that Ramaretwa, not Mosalaolwa, was the biological father of the child.The two men were not represented. The case will resume on August 1.