LIMPOPO – Lucky Frans Skonfat Mahlatjie (35) has been sentenced to life imprisonment plus 10 years, for two counts of rape.
The man from Mankgaile village, Ga-Molepo, appeared in the Mankweng Regional Court for sentencing on Wednesday. The Directorate for Public Prosecutions’ Regional Spokesperson, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, said the man was tried for two separate incidents.
“In the first incident, which happened in March 2015, the 20-year-old complainant was walking with her boyfriend when the accused, who is known to her, approached them. He ordered the boyfriend to disappear and threatened her with a beer bottle. He instructed her to undress before he raped her and when he finished, he accompanied her home and the police were called,” Malabi-Dzhangi explained.
She added that Mahlatjie was also accused of raping a 17-year-old girl in May 2016. “The complainant and her friend were in a tavern when they were approached by the accused. The complainant’s friend managed to escape, but the accused dragged the complainant behind the tavern while assaulting her. He forcefully undressed her before he raped her with his finger as well as his penis. When he finished, she managed to escape and ran home where she reported the incident to her mother, who called the police,” she said.
Mahlatjie pleaded not guilty to both charges.
A J88 (a legal document that is completed by a medical doctor or registered nurse, documenting injuries sustained by the victim) was handed in to corroborate the evidence of the doctor who testified about the injuries the complainant sustained. “DNA was also handed in during the trial which linked the accused directly to both offences,” Malabi-Dzhangi explained.
She said victim impact statements from the complainants were also given to the court. “The first complainant, who is now 24 years old, told the court that she is fearful to walk at night and wanted the accused to be punished harshly. The second complainant, who is now 21 years old, told the court that the incident had severe traumatic effects on her as she is unable to engage in relationships with males.”
The probation officer recommended that Mahlatjie should be sentenced to 10 years in respect of the first incident and life imprisonment in respect of the second incident, as the complainant was raped more than once.
The presiding officer, Jane Ngobeni, could not find any compelling circumstances to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence and the accused was sentenced to life and 10 years’ imprisonment, Malabi-Dzhangi concluded.
