Durban: A Free State policeman has been sentenced to eight years behind bars for raping a woman.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson Grace Langa said the accused, Constable Jeremia Thoabala, was convicted in the Botshabelo Regional Court on Friday.
“The complaint alleged that on March 9, 2019, at around 11:30pm, she had been at Taunameng Restaurant in Botshabelo with her friends when the accused approached her and asked her to leave the restaurant with him to talk.
“The accused open his car and they sat together. He raped her without her consent or using any protection.”
Thoabala was later arrested by Ipid officials.
“He was dismissed from the SAPS months after the incident.”
Langa said the rapist had been based at Vispol, the SAPS Visible Policing unit.
She said the accused has another case pending, one of possession of unlicensed firearms.
“He was allegedly found with two State firearms under his bed but could not explain why his colleague's firearm was with him.”
IOL