A 32-YEAR-OLD man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for raping a homeless woman in northern Free State town of Sasolburg.
Thabo Maseko was sentenced to life imprisonment after he was convicted of commiting the heinous crime together with his unknown colleague who is still at large.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the two men confronted the victim, aged 28, who was heating herself on the fire on the street at night on 16 September 2021.
“Realising that the victim was defenceless and homeless, they took advantage of her situation and began dragging her,” NPA regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said in a statement.
“They also started to assault the victim accusing her of being some other woman they know named Sibongile.
“The victim pleaded for her life and told them that she was not Sibongile as the accused knew that because they knew each other from the location of Zamdela near Sasolburg.
“While still pleading with the accused and his unknown conspirator, the unknown assailant started to rape the victim and instead of stopping this crime the accused also proceeded by raping the victim.”
The victim immediately went to report the matter at a nearby police station.
The police were able to track and locate Maseko as he was known by the victim.
He was arrested and charged with rape.
During his trial before the Sasolburg Regional Court, the defence argued that this was not the worst rape case the court had dealt with and that the court should deviate from the maximum sentence.
However, the prosecutor, Ntombi Marase, was adamant there was no “better or worse rape”.
The victim told the court that she had been stripped of her dignity and did not deserve what had happened to her.
In sentencing, the court found that the accused and his unknown assailant planned this horrific crime as they followed the victim from a tavern.
The court held that there were no substantial and compelling circumstances that warranted it to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence and sentenced Maseko to life imprisonment.
He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm. – Staff Reporter