Africa-Press – South-Africa. A former South African National Defence Force (SANDF) official has been handed a life sentence for raping an 11-year-old girl.
Fani Pehlelolo Segole, 54, was sentenced in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana on Wednesday.
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The rape took place in 2018 when Segole was living at Thaba Tshwane, where the mother of the child was renting accommodation.
Mahanjana said:
During the trial, Segole pleaded not guilty. However, the child’s testimony during the trial was accepted to be true and credible. She testified that the incident severely affected her and that she no longer trusted men, said Mahanjana.
Prosecutor Annalizer Stiles asked the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment. He said Segole had been regarded as a leader in the community.
Stiles added that children had looked up to him and seen him as a father figure – a relationship he had abused.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in Pretoria advocate Sibongile Mzinyathi applauded the work done by the investigating team that led to the conviction and sentence.
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