Life in jail for rapist who got beaten with knobkierie by his victim

A 78-year-old woman who was raped by a 37-year-old man managed to have him detained as she beat him with a knobkerrie after he fell asleep next to her.

Lucky Gaesirwe was sentenced to life in prison by the Ganyesa Regional Court in the North West for raping the woman in 2018.

According to the police, Gaesirwe left a tavern in the middle of the night on 19 December that year, when he broke into the victim’s home in Gamorakile Section, Morokweng, Vryburg.

He overpowered the much older woman and raped her. Thereafter, he fell asleep next to her, police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda Funani said in a statement.

Beaten into submission

While her rapist was asleep, the woman managed to get her hands on a knobkerrie and beat Gaesirwe into submission before alerting her neighbours.

“The police were called, and the accused was arrested and charged with rape,” Funani said.

North West police commissioner Lieutenant-General Sello Kwena commended the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigation Unit in Morokweng for securing another life sentence.

“This follows the sentencing of Reaobaka Alphius Baikepi, 26, on Tuesday, 17 November 2020, to life for raping a 76-year-old woman,” Funani said.

Kwena added the police officers’ diligence paid off and the sentences would definitely serve as an indication to potential criminals that those who abuse women and children would be dealt with harshly.

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