20 Apr 2021

A magistrate court in Maun, on Monday, convicted a 26-year-old man of raping a minor 

In his judgement, Chief Magistrate Thebeetsile Molalu said the prosecution had proven that the accused, Tuajoruavi Maekopo, unlawfully had sex with the complainant without her consent. 

Chief Magistrate Molalu said the court established that the complainant was a minor aged 12-years at the time of incident and that the two were cousins. 

The court, he said, was satisfied that the prosecution had proved their case against the accused therefore, hence conviction of rape. 

Chief Magistrate Molalu said the complainant’s evidence  corroborated with evidence from other state witnesses. 

He said the complainant had told the court that she slept with her two sisters on the same bed only to wake up on a mattress feeling pains in her genitals and found the accused on top of her with her panties and pajamas at her feet.  The particulars of the offence were that the accused person on February 26, 2016 unlawfully had carnal knowledge with the complainant at Thito ward in Maun. 

In defense, the accused who was a Maun Secondary School pupil at the time of offence had told the court that he did not have sex with the complainant, but only helped her to sleep on a mattress since that was an instruction from his aunty before she left. 

Maekopo also stated that he was forced to admit to the crime since the father to the complainant administered corporal punishment on him saying he would beat him until he admitted to the rape. ENDS