Late Detective Warrant Officer Abraham Pretorius of the Benoni Detective Branch was lauded posthumously for his dedication in ensuring Jantjie Motaung’s successful conviction.
The “career criminal” was successfully linked to the rape of a 70-year-old woman at her home on Wellington Street, Airfield, in 2010, during a DNA collection project spearheaded by the Benoni Police Station and launched at the Modderbee Correctional Services in 2020.
On February 29, Motaung was found guilty on one charge of rape, one of robbery with aggravating circumstances and two counts of housebreaking by Magistrate Rauwane Motsomane during a High Court sitting at the Benoni Magistrate’s Court.
The 45-year-old was sentenced to life for rape, seven years for robbery and eight years for house robbery, to run concurrently, on August 15.
The victim, now 84, testified that the two men forcibly entered her home, during which they assaulted and raped her three times.
At the time, DNA evidence was collected from the crime scene.
During the collection and capturing drive, DNA samples and fingerprints of all the inmates at Modderbee, including those awaiting trial, were collected.
The system matched Motaung’s samples to those collected from the rape victim and that collected from a housebreaking on Stirling Street, Airfield, in 2017.
At the time, the accused was detained and awaiting trial at the correctional facility for housebreaking committed on Defiant Avenue, Airfield, in 2020.
The three cases were merged.
He pleaded not guilty to all counts, saying he had no idea how his DNA was found at two separate crime scenes.
“Warrant Officer Pretorius left no stone unturned when investigating this matter. His primary focus was to ensure justice prevails,” said Captain Nomsa Sekele, the spokesperson for the Benoni Police Station.
“He was relentless in his efforts to ensure the victim could rest gently knowing Motaung was behind bars. Sadly, Pretorius could not celebrate this victory and enjoy the fruits of his labour. He died unexpectedly in May. We salute his dedication and hard work.”
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