LIMPOPO -The 37-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday afternoon during a joint police operation composed of various Police Units including the Family Violence and the Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS).
Preliminary Police investigations have linked the suspect to four separate rape incidents which took place in the Marapong area outside Lephalale between the years 2015 and 2018. All four victims were knocked unconscious before he raped them, said Police spokesperson, Col Moatshe Ngoepe.
The first alleged incident happened on 15 December 2015 at about 23:00pm where he attacked and raped a 34-year-old woman. “It is alleged the victim was walking through an informal settlement in this area when she was struck with a hard object on the head, leaving her unconscious. Subsequent to this attack, the victim was raped and robbed of her belongings such as clothing, cash amount of money and cellphone.”
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Meanwhile on 21 February 2016 at about 02:00am, he attacked his second victim while she was walking with her friend from the party. “He hit her using a hard object and when she collapsed he dragged her to the nearby park and raped her.The friend escaped unhurt.”
“The third incident happened on 1 May 2018 at about 23:00 where it is alleged he attacked his victim while she was walking along the street. “He hit her on the head using a hard object and then dragged her to a nearby house and raped her.”
Whereas, the fourth incident took place on the 1 July 2018 near one of the local car washes in the area when he attacked and dragged the victim to a secluded area and raped her.
This suspect was previously arrested and sentenced to two years imprisonment for burglary and was on parole, which will end in June 2019. He will now appear before the Lephalale Magistrate’s Court soon on four counts of rape, Ngoepe added.
The Provincial Commissioner of the Police Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba has commended the Lephalale Cluster Team of members including the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit for the job well done.
“The arrest of this suspect will send a clear and strong message to all the perpetrators of the gender based violence out there that their days are numbered. Unless they stop these heinous acts now, they are going to be dealt with mercilessly and without compromise,” General Ledwaba concluded.
