The Rustenburg Regional Court sentenced Pusoetsile Seabaneng to life imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old girl on Tuesday.
The incident happened on October 10, 2016.
The girl had to wait seven years to see justice served on her perpetrator. She is now 19 years old, while Seabaneng is 30 years of old.
According to the sentencing in court, Seabaneng was declared unfit to work with children, and his name will be listed in the National Sex Offender's Register.
The conviction emanates from an incident in Photsaneng village, near Rustenburg, on October 10, 2016, where Seabaneng and his father were tenants at the complainant's home. Seabaneng stayed with her father the at the victim's, grandmother's home.
Evidence led in court indicated that the victim's grandmother left Seabaneng, watching TV with the complainant, as he was a trusted individual, because of their over 10-year stay, renting at their home.
Seabaneng then moved closer to the victim, who was covering herself with a blanket. He subsequently undressed her, without her consent, while resisting and proceeded to rape her. Following this incident, he left the house and moved to his rented outside room, leaving the child unattended.
The young girl then reported the matter to her aunt the following day, and Seabaneng was arrested and charged with rape. He pleaded not guilty to the offence.
The victim is an orphan who was raised by her grandmother and aunt. The victim's impact statement indicated how withdrawn she was after the sexual assault. The court documents said the incident traumatised her, and her performance at school dropped drastically.
"Her family structure consists of her grandmother and her maternal aunt," said Spokesperson Henry Mamothame of the National Prosecuting Authority.
In aggravation of sentence, state prosecutor Aubrey Mataboge urged the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment. He further argued that Seabaneng manipulated the child's trust in him and that rape is a pandemic that the court has to act firmly against
Magistrate Marion Wessel agreed with the state as she imposed life imprisonment on Seabaneng.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, lauded the collaboration of the prosecutor, the investigating officer and the Thuthuzela Care Center for the conviction. Dr Makhari called an intensified advocacy against the scourge of rape, gender-based violence and femicide.
