Ex-convict rapes pregnant ex-girlfriend

An ex-convict who served two years in jail for unlawfully wounding a woman has struck again, raping the same woman while she was pregnant and causing her to give birth prematurely.

The violent man, who happens to be the victim’s ex- boyfriend raped her the whole night traumatising her so much that she gave birth the following day, which was before her due date.

The 30-year-old woman was sleeping at her mother’s house when the accused, Tebogo Gabatlhalefe arrived at night around 9pm and started calling her to come outside.

After the woman’s sibling advised her to attend to Gabatlhalefe, she went outside and he immediately grabbed her by the hand pulling her outside the yard to a nearby hill where he raped her the whole night.

36-year-old Gabatlhalefe is said to have raped his victim four times before he released her in the morning.

Although the woman had ended her relationship with the criminal in 2018 before he was sentenced to jail for stabbing her with a knife, Gabatlhalefe allegedly told her that he did not want any other woman in his life but her.

The bail opposing affidavit from the investigating officer indicated that Gabatlhalefe was a threat to the woman he was once convicted of unlawful wounding after he had stabbed her with a knife, the offence which he was sentenced to two years imprisonment for on March 28th, 2019.

During Gabatlhalefe’s arraignment before Molepolole Magistrate Kefilwe Resheng on Wednesday, he told the court that during his arrest by the police, they had promised him that he was going to be released from custody after some blood samples were extracted from him.

“Since my arrest I haven’t taken a bath, it is also not good that I left my things unattended, I have to put them in order,” said Gabatlhalefe who has difficulty in hearing.

The court interpreter moved closer to the dock speaking louder and removing her mask so that he could also see her lips as she was reading the charge to him.

Since the investigations were still at an initial stage, the magistrate ruled in favour of prosecution that Gabatlhalefe be remanded in custody till his next mention scheduled for December 2nd, 2021.