Africa-Press – Botswana. Serowe’s most notorious alleged serial rapist who terrorised women and girls has been linked to 10 rape cases but more charges could be added to the charge sheets as investigations go on.
Thirty-two-year-old Thapelo Disele of Maaloso ward in Serowe has been terrorising women and children for over a year before he was arrested on January 25. Reached for comment, Serowe Police station commander, superintendent Poloko Oteng said even though they are yet to establish if Disele might have committed more rape offences, it is clear women and girls in Serowe have been living in fear of being his next victims.
So far, he has been charged with 10 cases of rape and three robberies. Oteng said they recorded 140 rape cases last year and 190 the year before. The police suspect that most of these cases were committed by the same person looking at the modus operandi.
He stated that the offences were committed between December 25, 2020, and January 21, 2022. “I am not saying he committed all of these rape cases but he is likely to have committed more offences than the ones he is currently linked to, looking at the method in which the rapes were committed.
These cases were committed in a space of five days (apart). (It is likely) Disele used to target women and girls while walking alone to masimo or cattleposts in the outskirts of Serowe.
Then, he would attack, drag his victims to abandoned houses or old buildings and rape them while threatening them with a knife,” Oteng said. Moreover, Oteng said Disele used to target children when walking alone in the bush. He attacked one of the girls, dragged her into the bush and raped her while others ran for help. He further revealed that his youngest victim was a 13-year-old girl while the oldest was an 86-year-old woman. “He raped two teenagers aged 13 and 14, one in 2020 and the other in 2021 respectively.
The eldest woman he raped in 2020 was 84-years-old while in 2021 he raped an 86-year-old. There were instances that after committing these offences, he would also steal their mobile phones and money, ” he said.
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