The 22-year-old Pule Mabote was on Monday, 16 August 2021 sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court in Bloemfontein for the rape of a 65-year-old woman.

This follows an incident on the night of Sunday 29 November 2020 when the victim was woken by a knock at her residence, and went to open thinking it was her grandson.

She opened the door and was subsequently hit with a beer bottle on the forehead by the accused and sustained a wound. The accused then raped her and left the house. The victim managed to scream and alerted the neighbours who were able to chase and caught the accused.

A case of rape was reported at Brandfort SAPS and assigned to Sergeant Lebogang Dikgacoi of Bultfontein Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. The investigator worked tirelessly to ensure that justice prevailed.

The Provincial Commissioner of Free State, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane welcomed the sentence, and appreciated the assistance of Brandfort residents in capturing the rapist and handing him over to police. The investigator was also lauded for his diligence in securing a heavy sentence for the accused, which will send a strong message that gender based violence will not be tolerated.

Source: South African Police Service