19 May 2021

Attorney Lesego Phoi of Phoi and Associates has pleaded with Maun Magistrate Court to be lenient when sentencing rape convict, Tuajoruavi Maekopo.

Attorney Phoi made the plea when mitigating on behalf of Maekopo before Chief Magistrate Thebeetsile Molalu on Tuesday.

The court has convicted the 26-year-old man of Thito ward in Maun for raping a then 12 year-old minor and sentence is expected on May 28.

Attorney Phoi said Maekopo committed the offence when he was still young, aged 20 and a pupil at Maun Senior Secondary School (Maun SSS).

“He hardly knew what he was doing and was probably caught in hormonal youthful exuberance,” he said.

Attorney Phoi said Maekopo previously lived a clean life and showed responsibility as he was a Student Representative Council (SRC) president at Maun SSS and later became a political candidate in the 2019 elections under the Alliance for Progressives.

He, therefore, asked the court not to deprive the nation of such an asset and asked that he be given a lenient sentence and for the court to temper justice with mercy.

He said Maekopo lacked parental guidance because both his parents lived in Namibia and he lost his mother when he was only 12 years.

Particulars of the offence were that Maekopo on February 26, 2016 unlawfully had carnal knowledge with the then 12 year-old complainant who was his cousin without her consent at Thito ward.

In defense, Maekopo had previously told the court that he did not have sex with the complainant, but only helped her to sleep on a mattress since he was instructed by his aunt to do so.

Maekopo stated that he was forced to admit to the crime because the complainant’s father beat him and said he would do so until he admitted to the rape.

When passing judgement last month, Chief Magistrate Molalu had indicated that the prosecution had proven that Maekopo had unlawfully had sex with the complainant without her consent on the day in question.

He said the court was therefore, satisfied that the prosecution had proved their case against the accused and was convicted of rape.

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 his manhood inside her female genitals and her panties and pajamas at her feet. ENDS