17 Dec 2020

Gender- Based Violence Special Court sitting in Molepolole Magistrate Court will on Friday deliver a sentence in an attempted rape count faced by Mphonyana Keaitse.

The accused person has, on Tuesday, pleaded guilty before senior magistrate, Ms Keabetswe Majuta. 

Evidence presented by the prosecution was that the victim, a resident of Lekgwapheng ward in Molepolole, was sometimes in 2017, in the company of her two children collecting firewood behind Molepolole Institute of Health Sciences attacked by the perpetrator.

However, the attempt to rape was aborted when the victim bit off a piece of the perpetrator’s tongue.

It is alleged that during the attempted rape scuffle, the perpetrator had the courage to attempt a kiss with the victim. 

Although Keaitse pleaded guilty to the alleged offence, the convict denied howling vulgar words as stated by the victim in her statement.

“It is true that the victim bit my tongue while I was trying to kiss her in the process of attempting to rape, but I did not utter some of the words stated in the facts of the case,” claimed the accused,

 However, Ms Majuta convicted the perpetrator on the basis of his own admission of guilt.

Ms Majuta was convinced that his plea of guilt was done willfully and not under duress.

“It was clear that the accused had intended to penetrate the victim without her consent, and if it was not because of the pain he endures from the tongue bite, he could have had carnal knowledge of the victim,” said Senior Magistrate Majuta.

Meanwhile, the public prosecutor, Inspector Thema Marumolo informed the court that the victim had suffered scratch wounds on the forehead inflicted by the perpetrator with a knife.

Insp. Marumolo said the perpetrator was arrested following a tip-off from members of the public after he was recognised by swollen cheeks and difficulty in speaking.

Attempted rape offence is punishable by a minimum jail term of five years with or without corporal punishment. ENDs