Africa-Press – South-Africa. The so-called Ekurhuleni “graveyard rapist” has been handed three life sentences plus 30 years after he raped a woman, two teenagers and a child at a Tsakane cemetery.
Abel Lebele raped the victims, aged 7, 13, 16, and 32, during a time period spanning January 2017 to August 2019.
Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said Lebele pleaded guilty and admitted committing the rapes in the graveyard.
The seven-year-old girl was on her way to school when Lebele used sweets to lure her.
She declined his offer and started to run away, but Lebele caught up with her and dragged her to the cemetery where he raped her.
The 16-year-old was also on her way to school when Lebele attacked her on the day that she was scheduled to write an exam.
She is now 20 years old.
Previously, she told News24 that as she was late for school that day, and while walking near to the cemetery, she heard footsteps behind her.
She said:
“I tried running away. I slipped and fell. He pinned me to the ground. There was a woman who was nearby.
“I tried screaming, and he threatened to stab me with his knife. I saw that he was serious. I remained quiet. I didn’t think he was going to rape me. I thought he was only going to rob me.”
“I pleaded with him to take my phone and money. He said he was not there to rob me. He started insulting me. He took me to the cemetery, where he raped me. I wanted to fight for myself. I failed to defend myself.”
“He didn’t use any protection. He left me there and walked away. He achieved what he wanted from my body,” she said.
The 32-year-old woman was carrying her two-year-old child on her back when Lebele accosted her, pushed the child to the ground and raped her.
In aggravation of Lebele’s sentence, State advocate Lawrence Sivhidzho told the Gauteng High Court, sitting in Benoni, that rape affected victims physically and emotionally and asked the court to impose a harsh sentence that would convey the State’s zero tolerance for the crime.
Sivhidzho submitted that Lebele had targeted defenceless young children and raped them in a respected place where people’s loved ones were buried.
Judge Portia Phahlane said the rapes were about power and entitlement to the victim’s bodies.
The court ordered that Lebele’s name be included on the National Register for Sexual Offenders.
His application for leave to appeal the sentence was denied.
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