19 Apr 2021

Offences against a girl-child continue to be a concern and the girl-child no longer feels safe, Jwaneng magistrate, Ms Caroline Kataba has said.

She said this recently when sentencing a sex offender, Otlaadisa Gahiwe, who was accused of defiling a girl under the age of 16.

Ms Kataba said what was even more disheartening was that such offences were perpetrated by people close to their victims.

“These are the very people who are supposed to protect and teach such children what is right and wrong, but instead, they are preying on them,” she said.

Ms Kataba said offences such as sexual violation, should therefore be treated seriously by the courts.

She, therefore, sentenced Gahiwe to 10 years behind bars with the sentence running consecutively to any of his existing or future sentences.

Gahiwe reportedly violated a minor at or near Seherelela between January and May 2017.

Magistrate Kataba also presided over a case involving Mike Taferinyika, who was accused of having carnal knoowledge of an imbecile.

Taferinyika committed the offence on January 20, 2019 near Machana settlement with full knowledge of the status of his victim.

He reportedly enticed his victim with a packet of chips when they met at a kiosk in the small settlement, whereupon he took her to a bush and proceeded to have sexual intercourse with her without protection.

The parents of the victim, who was sent to the kiosk to buy mealie meal, started wondering when she took too long to return, leading to a search that led to Taferinyika being caught right in the act.

Ms Kataba indicated that because Taferinyika pleaded not guilty to the charge, the prosecution was left with the onus of proving the case beyond reasonable doubt, something she said they did well because evidence solicited from all the witnesses was overwhelmingly against the accused.

“The fact that you were caught right in the act and that you were well aware of your victim’s status as you stayed next to her household for two years, are some of the facts that were proof enough,” she said.  

Prosecuting officer, Inspector Lorato Chabaetsile, indicated that in the absence of any records of previous convictions, the court should treat the accused as a first offender.

In his mitigation, the 30-year-old Taferinyika pleaded with the court to be lenient on him as he was still young and had a better chance of reforming outside prison.

He is expected to return for sentencing on Thursday. ENDS