A Free State man who broke into the shack of a 23-year-old woman with a speech disability and raped her while she was sleeping alone at Manyatseng, near Ladybrand, has been sentenced to life behind bars.
The Bloemfontein High Court sentenced Pakiso Paulus Ramabethane, 35, from Manyatseng near Ladybrand to life imprisonment for raping a 23-year-old woman from the same area in February 2022.
The case was investigated by the Ladybrand Family, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Unit, and through their outstanding investigating skills, the accused was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The 23-year-old woman from Manyatseng has a speech disability. On Monday, February 28, 2022, at about 3 am, she was alone and asleep at home when two suspects broke into the shack she was sleeping in and raped her.
"The suspects then stole money, two cellphones and cigarettes sold by her mother," police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring said.
"During the ordeal, she recognised one of the two suspects, and after they left, she went to their neighbour's house for assistance, and the victim wrote in a book to explain what happened to her," Mophiring said.
Mophiring said that the police were called, and she was taken to the hospital after the case was opened.
"The Ladybrand Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences arrested the known suspect and opposed his bail application.
"The accused was on parole when he committed the offence he was arrested for," Mophiring said.
Mophiring said the case was sent to the Free State High Court for trial, and the accused was found guilty on Friday, August 11, 2023, in Bloemfontein.
"He was sentenced to life imprisonment for housebreaking and rape, and he was also sentenced to three years for theft.
"His application for leave to appeal the conviction and sentence was dismissed," Mophiring said.
IOL