30 May 2018

A medical doctor who examined Mmopane Block 1 rape and robbery victim has concluded in his findings that the 16-year-old girl was raped by her neighbour, who unlawfully gained entry into her house while she was asleep.

Giving evidence at the trial, which has been halted until July 19, when the defence will take the witness stand, Dr Ammemas Kalengay said when he examined the patient on October 2, 2017 for possible sexual assault, he came to the conclusion that she had been raped as there was a fresh crack on the lining of her private part.  

Dr Kalengay noted that the patient also had a burning urine sensation and further discovered some discharge from the vagina, which indicated possible sexually transmitted diseases.

The Nkoyaphiri-based medic told the court that he examines for and treats general diseases and also attends to people referred to the clinic by the police, noting that the tearing of the lining of the vagina is an indication that there was forceful penetration.

Under cross examination from the accused, Motshidisi Letsweletse, the doctor noted that under normal circumstances consensual sexual intercourse does not produce such tears and cracks because the female partner would secrete lubricants.           

A medical graduate from Lubumbashi Medical University in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who started plying his trade from 2005, until he came to Botswana in 2011, where he stayed for three months at Princess Marina Referral Hospital before being deployed to Mogoditshane catchment area, Dr Kalengay told the court that when he examined the patient she was however stable and calm as he asked her some questions.

Another state witness, Tshiamo ‘Rasta’ Elemetswe told the court that he came to learn that his neighbour was raped on October 1, 2017 by the accused who was in the company of police officers.

He noted that Letsweletse, who is his friend and whom he had accommodated for a period of not over one and half months, broke the bad news to him.

Rasta, as he is commonly called, said the victim had been his neighbour for three years, noting that on the day of the incident he had slept in a separate room while Letsweletse was in another and only saw him again on October 1, 2017 in the company of the police.

He further told the court that he also witnessed the retrieving of food items, which the accused had allegedly stolen immediately after raping the victim.  

The facts of the case are that on the first count, the court heard that Letsweletse on September 29, 2017 at Mmopane Block 1 in the Kweneng District raped  a certain lady without her consent.

On the second count, the accused is said to have, on the same day, robbed his victim of a black Vodacom Android cellular phone valued at P500, five 200ml Tropical mango juices valued at P60, 1kg Nutri Day double cream yoghurt valued at P23 and 5kg chicken braai pack valued at P150. 

The accused is said to have used violence on the said victim during the commission of the crimes and he has pleaded not guilty to both charges. ENDS