Molepolole Chief Magistrate, Goabaone Rammapudi, has sentenced a 30-year-old man of Letlhakeng village to 10 years in jail for rape which occurred back in 2014.
The accused, Simon Phala, on June 15th, 2014, at Letlhakeng village followed his 19-year-old victim while she was on her way to her grandmother’s place from an entertainment session.
He forcibly removed her track top and bra and when the victim tried to escape he chased and caught up with her just as she was about to arrive at her grandmother’s place.
The victim screamed in vain for help but Phala grabbed and raped her without using a condom.
After the victim escaped from Phala’s grip, he followed her to her grandmother’s place where he was stopped by the girl’s grandmother as he tried to force his way inside the house.
In sentencing the accused, Magistrate Rammapudi said it is the function of the court to consider the nature of crime committed, the interest of the law abiding community within each place and the accused’d own personal circumstances.
“The accused person is liable to a penalty in the form of imprisonment, the minimum being a term of 10 years, maximum being life imprisonment. On evidence the accused tendered it was quite apparent that this was a planned act,” said the concerned magistrate before she emphasized that the incidences are very high in Kweneng District and that the court must thus where necessary impose harsh penalties to combat the crime.
“The offense committed, by its nature is not only an assault but its physical assault on the victim, it is also as well intrusive. It leaves the victim with shame and often incorrigible psychological scars. The expectation of this victim and the law abiding citizens is obviously to be protected in that deterrence sentences are not allowed.
The Magistrate however, considered that the accused is still a youth and a first offender and also that the sexual assault did not result in serious injuries.
Phala will spend the next 8 years and a month behind the bars as the sentence is backdated from July 20th, 2018 when he was incarcerated.
