‘Ramotswa Rapist’ ordered to undergo HIV Test and fingerprinting
The man believed to be behind as many as 20 rapes in Ramotswa is now officially a convicted rapist having been found guilty of rape by Extension II Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
With Gomolemo Loeto, 38, linked to several other cases, including two more currently before court, he is likely to be an old man by the time he is released from prison.
Despite the suspect’s protest that the deed was consensual, Magistrate Keabetswe Majuta ruled the state had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, finding him guilty of the 28 July 2024 rape of a woman at Goo Moeng Ward.
Court further ordered Loeto to undergo HIV testing and fingerprinting ahead of sentencing, authorising police to use minimal force should he refuse to comply.
The conviction comes months after The Voice reported on Loeto’s repeated attempts to resist providing blood samples for DNA analysis in connection with other rape investigations. The court ultimately ordered that blood be forcibly extracted, allowing investigators to compare his DNA with evidence gathered from other reported sexual assaults.
In delivering her verdict, Magistrate Majuta found that medical evidence, together with testimony from the complainant and other state witnesses, painted a clear picture of a violent sexual assault.
Court heard that the complainant and another man were walking from a local bar when Loeto emerged from behind, armed with a brown Okapi knife. He reportedly held the knife to the man’s neck and ordered him to run before dragging the complainant into nearby bushes, where he overpowered and raped her.
Evidence further revealed Loeto forced the complainant to accompany him to his rented room after the attack.
While he boiled water to bathe, the complainant managed to escape, locking him inside before running to the main house screaming for help.
An elderly woman living at the property told court she did not know Loeto well because he was a new tenant.
Although Loeto later escaped from the locked room and fled, the Magistrate noted he disappeared for five days after the incident, behaviour she said was consistent with someone conscious of having committed ‘unspeakable acts’.
In his defence, Loeto insisted the complainant willingly accompanied him to his house and agreed to have sex before demanding P1, 200 for her services.
He claimed she locked herself inside the room and falsely accused him of rape after he failed to meet her demands.
The Magistrate dismissed his version as inconsistent with the overwhelming medical and witness evidence presented by the prosecution.
The matter returns to court on 26 August for a hearing on possible extenuating circumstances before sentencing.
Loeto also appeared before Magistrate Majuta on another rape matter, which was postponed to the same date as police continue pursuing the remaining cases.
