YOUNG MAN ACCOMMODATES LOVERS, RAPES AND ROBS THEM
A couple’s romantic night at friend’s house in Tatisiding village ended in trauma as the friend who had offered them his bedroom came back to rob them and rape the woman.
The robber, Kelvin Maphosa , (22) had offered his 37-year – old friend the use of his bedroom so he could spend the night with his girlfriend who had visited from Motlhabaneng village.
However Maphosa returned under the cover of the night with his friend Kuda Tidimalo, 23, to rob his visitors of their cell phones, money (p70) and rape the woman.
It was heard that the man had asked to use Maphosa’s room for the night with his girlfriend from Motlhabaneng village.
Maphosa, not only agreed but also went to fetch the woman at the bus stop and bring her to his house where her boyfriend was waiting.
(Maphosa) then went to sleep at his friend’s (Tidimalo’s) house where they planned to go and rob his guests, They proceeded to the house as they knew the lock was not working, kicked open the door and demanded money and phones from the couple.
As if robbing the couple was not enough, the court heard that the duo proceeded to rape the woman in turns in front of his boyfriend.
“When the other one was raping the woman, another one was pointing the man with the panga,” the court heard
On Tuesday the duo was sentenced to 12 years in prison backdated to the 22nd of April this year when they committed the crime.
Before passing the sentence, Magistrate Game Mooketsi stated that the character of the accused, interest of the society and the seriousness of the offence were taken into consideration.
“The minimum sentence for robbery is 10 years imprisonment and rape minimum mandatory 10 years. When mitigating, the accused stated that they are first offenders and that they did not benefit anything from their offences.
“They also stated that they were influenced by their youthful exuberance,” said Magistrate Mooketsi.
The Magistrate also mentioned that the duo entered a plea of guilty from the onset and that the stolen items were recovered. She went on to state that it should not be ignored that the victim suffered trauma and that gender based violence cases are increasing at an alarming rate countrywide.
“Francistown court alone, robbery is increasing at the alarming rate. It is the duty of the courts to pass sentences that will send a message.Considering the way the offence was committed one could see it was brutal after the second accused accommodated them and called his friend to abuse the victim,” she said.
The duo was therefore sentenced to 10 years for rape and 10 years for robbery.
The 8 years for rape would run concurrently with the 10 years of robbery, while the 2 years for rape will run consecutively to robbery, causing the duo to serve an effective 12 years in the slammer.
