Diepsloot child rapist handed life sentence

The Randburg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, sentenced a Diepsloot man to life imprisonment for raping a seven-year-old child three years ago.

Johannes Motshabi was convicted of rape and kidnapping after he grabbed his neighbour’s child who was playing with other children in the street. He took her to his shack and raped her.

Motshabi was 27-years-old at the time of the incident in July 2019.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), after the minor was raped by Motshabi, she met an unknown person and informed them about the incident.

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The person then went with the child to Motshabi’s place where they found his mother and alerted her of what had transpired.

Motshabi’s mother is said to have escorted the child home and police were called, resulting in her son being arrested.

Though the seven-year-old’s evidence was that of a single witness, the court found it to be credible and corroborated by medical evidence.

“In praying for the court not to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence of life imprisonment, State advocate Given Mbedzi argued that the minor’s innocence was brutally taken by someone she knew and trusted.

“He further pleaded with the court to consider the report compiled by the Probation Officer, from the Department of Social Development, Jabulani Mbala, wherein the victim’s mother stated that the minor was not coping and had been left with trauma,” said NPA regional spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane.

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