A 36-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the assaulting and raping his ex-girlfriend in the Christiana Regional Court in the North West.
Lesego Andrew Maribe's, 36, conviction comes from an incident that occurred on July 21, 2021, wherein he went to his ex-girlfriend’s house in Christiana and demanded to be let in while kicking the door.
Upon hearing the voice of the accused, the complainant refused to open and rushed to the back of the house to exit and run away from danger.
"Maribe managed to apprehend her and started assaulting her while dragging her to his place. When they arrived at his place, he repeatedly raped her and only let her leave the following day at midday," said Henry Mamothame, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson.
Mamothame further added that the victim subsequently went to her aunt to report the matter, and she later reported the matter to the police. Maribe was arrested, and the court denied him bail.
"It was also discovered that he had previous convictions for rape and attempted rape, for which he served jail time," Mamothame said.
In aggravation of sentence, the State Prosecutor, Qcinimuzi Radebe, urged the court not to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence of life imprisonment, as records show that the accused had been convicted for a similar offence and he should be removed from society to restore peace.
"Magistrate Lincoln Matjele agreed with the state and remarked that rape is an offence that degrades the dignity of the victim.
"He further alluded to the responsibility bestowed on the courts to send a strong message to offenders of such heinous crimes," Mamothame said.
Mamothame also said that the court further ordered that Maribe's name be registered in the sexual offender’s register.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, lauded the prosecutor, investigating officer, and other role players for a collaboration that secured a conviction.
Makhari further called on communities to advocate against the abuse of women, children, and the elderly.
IOL News