POTCHEFSTROOM – The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, welcomed the 25 years’ imprisonment sentence handed down to a 28-year-old rapist by the Ventersdorp Magistrates’ Court this week.

The accused’ sentencing came after he raped a 14-year-old victim in the early hours of Thursday morning, 1 April 2021. The accused was caught by the victim’s aunt, raping the teenager inside a toilet in Appeldraai Village, close to Ventersdorp.

The incident was reported to the police, who managed to locate and arrest the convict five days later.

Due to excellent investigations by Constable Nataniel Lephoi of the Potchefstroom Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, the accused was found guilty for rape and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment on two counts of rape. The convict was also declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act, 2000 (Act No. 60 of 2000) and his name was included into the National Child Protection Register as a person unsuitable to work with children in terms of Section 120(4) of the Children’s Act, 2005 (Act No. 38 of 2005).

Lieutenant General Sello Kwena commended the Investigating Officer, prosecution and other role players for a job done well.

Source: South African Police Service