A Free State rapist has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the Bultfontein Regional Court.
Pule Richard Motseu, 24, from Phahong in Bultfontein near Welkom was found guilty of charges of rape and aggravated robbery.
The court heard on May 28, 2023, the 22-year-old woman and her friend were walking to a tavern at about 10pm when they were accosted by Motseu who demanded their cellphones and money. While he was robbing the two women, the friend managed to get away.
After Motseu robbed the woman of her cellphone at gunpoint, he dragged her into the yard of a nearby abandoned house where he started to rape her. He further dragged her into the outside toilet of the same house and raped her again. The court heard Motseu continued to rape the woman numerous times before leaving her in the abandoned house.
She immediately fled the scene and reported the entire ordeal to her friend. She went to the police to report the case the following morning.
She managed to identify her rapist because they attended the same school. He was subsequently arrested.
His bail was opposed and he remained behind bars for the duration of his case.
During the trial, Motseu claimed he had an alibi and was not in the area at the time of the incident as he was visiting his sister’s place of work near Welkom. Motseu also claimed to not know the victim, he only admitted to attending the same school mentioned by the victim.
While there was no DNA evidence, the court accepted the evidence given by the victim regarding the identity of Motseu and it further rejected his alibi.
In aggravation of the sentence, Regional Court Prosecutor Magangeni Baloyi argued that the court should not deviate from the prescribed life imprisonment for rape and 15 years for armed robbery.
The court agreed with the prosecution, and the accused was found guilty as charged, sentencing him to undergo life imprisonment for rape and 15 years imprisonment for armed robbery. The court also ordered his name be registered in the National Register of Sex Offenders.