A family of rapists?

FATHER, SON DUO ACCUSED OF MOLESTING 10-YEAR- OLD GIRL

In one of the most disturbing Gender Based Violence cases to be reported in Botswana, a man and his son are suspected to have sexually molested a standard two schoolgirl aged 10.

The two accused men told the court during their appearance last week that there was a third accused that they wanted the police to charge as well.

The two alleged rapists, 59-year-old Thepa Kgangyame, (step father to the victim) and his 25-year-old son, Gideon Disele who is also the victim’s uncle insisted that they wanted the third suspect, who is their neighbour to be brought before the court because when the case was registered he too was named as a suspect and now they were surprised that he has never appeared in court.

“When blood samples were extracted from us we were three and when the results came back they were only for the two of us yet the third accused is also our neighbor. I asked him if the police came back to give him feedback and he told me that he had never seen them,” said Disele following on his father’s question about the third suspect.

However the magistrate, Keabetswe Majuta, responded by advising the father and son duo to work on their defence instead of concerning themselves with a matter that would not assist them in anyway because the power to avail the number of suspects to stand trial entirely rested with prosecution.

However, It is alleged that the third suspect is a 13-year-old neighbour who had also raped the same victim.

Upon being asked on the allegations, Thamaga police Station Commander, Superintendent Moses Kwarare, said since the third suspect is a juvenile they have engaged social workers to assist with investigations and are still waiting for their report.

Earlier on, the Prosecutor Sub Inspector Ogone Motsholathebe, told the court that they were not ready as the case was scheduled for the final case management conference (CMC) and they still needed assistance from Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The magistrate who wanted to know about progress in the case further ordered the prosecution to furnish the accused with all relevant documents prior to the scheduled court date of March 15th, 2022.

The accused Thamaga village natives are alleged to have forcefully had sex with the young girl in separate incidents between 20th and 23rd August 2020.

Evidence brought before court has indicated that the girls’ mother who works at Ghanzi visited the girl and later realised her daughter had difficulty in walking and upon questioning her she told of how the duo had sexually molested her at different times and intervals, one after the other.

Both men are out on bail.