Africa-Press – South-Africa. A Free State pastor has been sentenced to life imprisonment for abducting a woman who had just buried her mother and holding her hostage for eight months, while repeatedly raping her.
The Viljoenskroon Magistrate’s Court sentenced Office Samson Choniswa, 40, on Monday for rape, kidnapping, theft, and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The charges emanate from an incident on 31 August 2020, when the 50-year-old woman was at a hiking spot trying to get transport to Johannesburg after burying her mother.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said Choniswa told the woman he could organise transport for her, but that they should first go to his house, where he would be able to do so.
The woman then agreed, said Shuping. When they got to the house, Choniswa said he wanted her to be his wife, but the woman refused.
Shuping added:
On 11 March 2021, the woman escaped after Choniswa asked her to get food from his sister’s house, Shuping added.
He said the woman found refuge at a neighbour’s house until the next day, when she hiked to Potchefstroom police station in North West to report the case.
Asked why the woman opened a case in North West and not Free State, Shuping said the pastor had told her that all police officers in Viljoenskroon knew him and none of them would assist her in opening a case against him.
“The woman is from Johannesburg and only went to Viljoenskroon for the funeral of her mother, who stayed there.
“She trusted the pastor because he had assisted the family with the funeral; hence she did not suspect anything when he told her to go with him to his house as he would arrange with somebody to take her to Joburg,” said Shuping.
During his trial, Choniswa denied raping the woman and claimed that the sexual acts were consensual, adding that the woman had gone to him asking to be his wife.
According to Shuping, prosecutor Siphokazi Tunzi told the court that the injuries sustained by the woman indicated that she had been held against her will.
“In aggravation of sentence, Tunzi told the court that the accused failed to show that substantial and compelling circumstances existed for the imposition of a lesser sentence and requested the court to sentence Choniswa to life imprisonment for rape,” said Shuping.
Choniswa was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape, five years for abduction, four years for theft, and five years for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The sentences will run concurrently.
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