Accused’s alleged confession to cops
Tuesday 28 January started off as another ordinary day for a seven-year-old girl from Otse village.
The happy youngster was absent-mindedly making her way home following a fun-filled few hours at school, when her world came crashing down.
By around 7 in the evening, when she had still not returned home, her family started panicking.
A short search is said to have led to 20-year-old Moses Malope’s house, where the little girl was allegedly found bleeding and unconscious.
Malope is accused of sexually molesting her, reportedly enticing the young schoolgirl into his home with the promise of sweets.
The child would spend the next month in hospital.
Traumatised by the ordeal, she was unable to speak until a week after her release from hospital.
Police maintain that upon regaining her speech, she identified Malope as her attacker.
The cops further insist Malope confessed to the rape but claimed to be ‘possessed by a demon’ when he abused the girl.
However, appearing before Lobatse Magistrate Court charged with abduction and aggravated rape, the accused proclaimed his innocence, telling court he was severely beaten by villagers for something ‘he doesn’t know’.
When asked why a seven-year-old would accuse him of such, the suspect responded, “I don’t know why she would say I did that.”
In his sworn evidence, Malope said he fled the scene fearing for his life and returned three days later to turn himself into the Police.
Confirming this, the Investigating Officer (IO) Kelebogile Mogwera told court, “The accused person fled the scene when the villagers stormed his house.
“The young girl was found in one of the rooms and was unable to talk. The accused person told us that he was under demonic attack when he raped the young girl.”
Continuing his detailed narrative, the IO said, “We took the victim to hospital on the same day and she was released February 26th. She had traumatic injuries and was unable to speak. When she was eventually able to speak, a week after being released from hospital, she told us that the man whom she can identify upon sight took her inside his house and abused her until late night when she was rescued by her uncle and some villagers.”
According to Mogwera, the girl’s school bag was recovered in the accused’s room.
Other witnesses further told court that back in 2016, Malope kidnapped another school child but fortunately she managed to escape without harm.
Judgment in the case has been reserved for 19 November.
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