CAPE TOWN - A Free State police captain convicted on nine charges, including rape and sexual assault, died in a car crash only hours before he was due to appear in court today to be sentenced.
Captain Shadrack Lorole Motsoeneng, 59, was the supervisor in charge of the Family and Sexual Offences Unit at the Mafube Police Station, in Frankfort, when he committed the sexual offences in 2020.
Motsoeneng was arrested and an investigation conducted by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).
According to Ipid spokesperson Grace Langa, Motsoeneng, in line with bail conditions set by the court, asked Ipid investigators if he could go to Vereeniging to buy his children Christmas clothes. He was only allowed to leave the area with the permission of Ipid investigators.
“He was then allowed to leave and only this morning (Monday), when he was supposed to appear in court for sentencing, was Ipid informed that the officer... [had] died in an accident involving a truck.
“It is said the accident happened last night (Sunday). Ipid confirmed his death... The accident is now under investigation and the case had to be closed in court today,” Langa said.
She said Motsoeneng initially faced 14 charges. However, he was only found guilty on nine: four counts of sexual assault, rape, forgery, defeating the ends of justice, corruption and attempted extortion.
Langa said a 17-year-old girl who had been raped had gone to the police station and asked Motsoeneng to open a case against her alleged rapist.
“The police officer took advantage of the situation and raped the teenage girl, who was a victim of rape and who was in his office to look for help.
“He further raped another 11-year-old girl, who was accompanying the complainant, in exchange for favours and making sure that they received justice for the rape case the complainant had opened.
“The police officer was further charged for raping the girlfriend of the suspect who was accused of raping the teenage girl.”
Langa said Motsoeneng had also promised to make the rape suspect’s case disappear if the suspect’s girlfriend agreed to have sex with him. She had initially agreed and slept with the police officer.
However, Motsoeneng kept demanding more sex from the girlfriend, and she then refused.
Langa said that at this point Motsoeneng told the girlfriend he would arrest her boyfriend on rape charges because of her refusal.
The rape suspect was subsequently arrested and Motsoeneng opposed his bail.
“The girlfriend then opened a case of sexual assault and rape against the police officer.
“Ipid took over the case and conducted a thorough investigation, which led to Ipid realising that the girlfriend was not only a victim, but the two teenagers as well were victims of the police officer,” Langa added.