TV Repairman Gets 10 Years for Schoolgirl’s Rape
A TV repairman who raped a client’s 13-year-old daughter will spend the next 10 years of his life behind bars after being found guilty by Francistown Magistrates Court.
Although he insists he didn’t do it, the evidence against Onneetse Tebogo, 35, was overwhelming.
It was heard that on 31 December 2021, the well-known Tonota native, who goes by the nickname ‘Bushie’, was fixing the family’s television, something he had done for many years.
At some point, Tebogo told the mum there was an important component missing from the satellite dish which he needed from the shops.
Not suspecting a thing, the mother left to buy the part, instructing her teenage daughter to watch over her younger sibling who was fast asleep.
As soon as the mum left, Tebogo followed the little girl into the house, closing the door and telling the child he was ‘looking for something’.
In her testimony, delivered via video, the girl told the court she tried to escape through an open window but ‘Bushie’ blocked her path, covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming, and forcibly threw her onto the bed.
She says he removed her clothes, undressed himself, and then raped her, without using a condom.
After he was done, Tebogo warned the girl he would beat her badly if she dared tell anyone what happened. He then left the yard in a haste, forgetting his toolbox.
In her evidence, the mother told the court she arrived home to be met at the gate by her tearful, extremely upset daughter, who immediately revealed she had been raped.
The matter was reported to the police, and the child, who had just completed Form One at the time, was taken for medical examination.
In her assessment, the doctor noted that the complainant appeared physically and mentally fit but was visibly scared during the examination.
She further observed that the victim’s hymen was torn and bleeding, with the vagina only able to accommodate one finger due to trauma-induced muscle contraction.
The doctor also told the court the teen had no prior sexual experience and had not started menstruating yet.
In reaching his guilty verdict, Magistrate Tshepo Magetse said the evidence given by the victim placed the accused at the scene, inside the house, and in direct contact with her.
“The complainant’s narrative remained consistent. Her responses under cross-examination were direct and unwavering,” stated Magetse.
He pointed out that the accused’s evidence also placed him as the last adult seen with the complainant before her injuries were discovered and medically documented.
Magistrate Magetse added Tebogo’s actions might have been premeditated, as he created an opportunity for himself by sending the victim’s mother to the shops.
“His conduct after the incident, including abruptly leaving the scene without collecting his tools, avoiding the mother’s return, and failing to follow up, further supports the inference of guilty knowledge and a desire to evade responsibility,” noted Magetse, describing ‘Bushie’ as a sexual predator based on the evidence.
On Monday morning, he then sentenced the handyman to a decade in the slammer.
