DOUBLE LIFE SENTENCE FOR RAPE OF TWO WOMEN
Lesetja Keikabile(33), has been sentenced to life Imprisonment by the Mothibistad Regional Court. The accused was charged with four counts of rape, with the provisions of Section 51(1) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1997. On 29 April 2019, the 39-year-old victim together with another adult female, met the accused whilst out with friends in the Mothibistad area.
The accused was with the victim and other friends at a local bar, and when it was time to leave, a friend of the accused requested a lift home, as other friends were driving in a different direction. Because the accused had an engaging personality, the victim did not have reasons not to trust him. While driving to the accused place of residence, the victim was provided with an incorrect house address by the accused. When they arrived at this place the accused began to choke the victim in the vehicle.
The victim started to fight back, and despite vigorously fighting by the accused, the complainant was helpless, and the accused proceeded to rape her numerous times. The victim reported the matter to her boyfriend and with the help of friends, the accused was apprehended and handed to the police at the local police station where he was formally charged and arrested on the same evening. The prosecution successfully opposed bail and the accused was remanded in custody, but the matter was provisionally struck off the roll as the court was awaiting DNA evidence.
On 08 June 2022, the second victim, an 18-year-old woman was selling food outside a Mothibistad tavern. On that evening, business was slow, and the victim decided to close early, and she was then invited by her sister to rather enjoy two drinks at the tavern, which she agreed to. It is at the tavern where the victim met the accused while he was out on warning for the first rape matter. When it was time to leave the tavern, the accused offered her a lift home, which she accepted, as she also found him to have an engaging personality and had no reason not to trust him.
The victim directed the accused to her home, where instead of dropping her off safely, the accused decided to drive to an abandoned area close to the complainant’s home. It was there that the accused proceeded to choke the complainant, and thereafter raped her numerous times. During the incident, the complainant suffered severe bruising to her throat, due to being choked by the accused. The complainant managed to escape and ran to her home and reported the incident to the police the following day. The accused was arrested, and the prosecution successfully opposed bail again, and he was remanded until the conclusion of his case.
During his trial, the prosecution led by Regional Court Prosecutor Bernice Bronkhorst, argued before the court that the accused had a modus operandi, as both complainants met the accused while out with friends, both complainants described him as being engaging, both complainants were lured into a motor vehicle with the accused, and thereafter choking the victims before raping them. The prosecution further argued that it was the accused’s engaging personality, which falsely created an impression to both complainants that he could be trusted.
In aggravation of the sentence, Kock asked the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence. The state argued and emphasised the seriousness of the offences as well as the fact that the accused was a danger to society and did not show any remorse as he committed the second crime, while he was still on warning in the first case. After a lengthy judgment, the court found the accused guilty as charged on all counts. He was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment on count 1 and life imprisonment on count 2. The Acting Regional Magistrate Stephan Hinana found that the accused did not present any substantial and compelling circumstances which would have motivated the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentences.
The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Northern Cape believes this sentence will send a clear message to would-be offenders, and it will also work as a deterrent to those who are planning to commit these types of offences.
