Two men sentenced for kidnapping and raping a teacher (28)
She was tied up, raped and then robbed before one of them loaded her into her VW Polo's boot
LIMPOPO – The Lephalale Regional High Court have imposed hefty sentences on two men convicted of kidnapping and raping a 28-year-old teacher in 2018.
Pheneus ‘Vinesse’ Kgomo (19) and Lesiba Merchanson Molokomme (31) were convicted for theft, robbery with aggravating circumstances, rape, kidnapping and house breaking for an incident which happened on Friday, 23 November 2018 at around 03:00.
Read more: #KidnappedTeacher: Two suspects arrested outside Lephalale
Both men are from Villa Nora outside Lephalale.
according to a statement released by Police Spokesperson Col Moatshe Ngoepe, life imprisonment was imposed on Molokomme for rape while Kgomo received 20 years. Five years for kidnapping and seven years for theft were also added to their sentence, while Kgomo further received a sentence of six years for house breaking and theft and another 15 years’ imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Ngoepe said that Kgomo broke into the victim’s rented house in a village outside Marken on the said day in 2018. Kgomo tied up the victim, raped her and then robbed her before he loaded her into her VW Polo’s boot.
He then drove to Molokomme and they went to withdraw the teacher’s money. The police launched a manhunt when they were notified and the teacher was found on the side of the road on the following day. She was taken to hospital and it was found that the suspects made turns raping her.
Later the day, Molokomme was found in possession of the teacher’s car keys and he and Kgomo were arrested at different locations around Lephalale. The vehicle was later found abandoned in bushes near Marken.
Det Serg Frans Thulare, from SAPS Lephalale Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, was assigned to the case and worked tirelessly to ensure that the two accused received long jail terms.
The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service, Lt Gen Nneke Ledwaba applauded Thulare for his work.
“We hope that this sentence will serve as a deterrent to all those rapists and thieves that crime does not pay,” said Ledwaba.
