Rapist of 7-year-old girl slapped with life sentence

The Mokerong Regional court in Limpopo handed down a life sentence to the rapist of a 7-year-old girl.

The police in the province welcomed “the heavy jail term” which was given to Thapelo Nkiba Phillip Marakalla aged 28, who raped a 7-year-old child.

The police said the incident took place at a village in the Gilead policing area outside Mokopane in Limpopo.

The sentence was handed down by the Mokerong Regional court last week after the victim, a girl child was raped by the accused on the 12th November 2017 at about 6pm, police said.

“The victim’s guardian was at her home when a witness informed her that the accused has locked himself in his house with the victim, as she was looking for her.

“She quickly rushed to the said house, on arrival, she found the child inside with the accused. She asked him what was happening and he alleged that the girl was only attracted by his cell phone and she was playing games. She then took the victim back home. On the way, she questioned the little girl what has happened to her, and she detailed everything that she was raped.

“The guardian went straight to the nearest clinic with the victim and subsequently, the Police were immediately summoned, they responded promptly and started with their initial investigations,” police spokesperson, Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said.

The case was assigned to Detective Warrant Officer Matsobane Lekalakala attached to this unit.

“The warrant officer applied his tactical investigative skills and he left no stone unturned until the accused was nabbed within a short space of time.

“The warrant officer had fully concentrated on the case, opposing the bail in court until he secured this long jail term.”

The acting provincial commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo, Major General Samuel Manala has commended the investigating officer of this case on the job well done.

(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)

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