The Regional Court in Lephalale yesterday, 26 August 2021, sentenced a 45-year-old man to life imprisonment after he was found guilty of raping a 67-year-old woman on 11 November 2017, at Villa Nora outside Lephalale.

The hefty sentence follows an incident in which the victim was awoken up by a knock at her residence at about 03:00 in the morning and when she opened, she found that it was one of her relatives who was sent to fetch her following the passing on of another relative.

The victim and the accused then proceeded to the said place in the same area but along the way, the accused grabbed the elderly woman and dragged her under the bridge and raped her. In an attempt to cover the heinous crime, the accused thereafter forced the victim to the nearby mountain and tried to hang her. The elderly woman managed to escape and seek help from the community members.

Police were notified about the incident and a case of rape was opened. The case was assigned to Detective Warrant Officer Sophie Mantwa Malapile of Lephalale Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual offences Unit (FCS). The suspect was arrested few days later, following an Intelligence driven joint operation by the Detectives and Crime Intelligence Unit.

The investigating officer worked diligently to ensure the accused is kept in custody and justice prevailed.

The Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has welcomed the sentence and stressed that perpetrators of sexual violence against the vulnerable, particularly the elderly women should have no place in the society.

Source: South African Police Service