Africa-Press – South-Africa. A Free State man has been sentenced to life in prison for the rape of an eight-year-old girl.
Magistrate Motshidisi Khuduga sentenced Lehlohonolo Paulus Rampolong, 32, in the Botshabelo Magistrate’s Court after he was convicted of the January 2022 rape.
Free State National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said the child had been playing with a friend in a neighbour’s yard when Rampolong called her and promised to give her money.
She agreed to accompany him to his house, where he raped her.
The girl reported the rape to her mother when she returned home and the police were alerted.
Rampolong was arrested.
“In court, Rampolong’s defence was that of a bare denial… [he] told the court that he was with his friend on the day of the incident, but he failed to call his friend to testify on his behalf,” Shuping said.
Shuping added:
In aggravation of sentence, prosecutor Nokutula Ndwandwa presented the court with a victim impact statement, facilitated by court preparation officer Melissa Mphulanyane.
In the statement, the child’s mother said the rape had changed her daughter’s behaviour and that she no longer played with her friends, or got into fights with her peers.
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Ndwandwa submitted: “The incident will hurt her life for a long time because she never expected the accused to behave like that because she trusted him. She was expecting him to protect her, not to violate her. The accused comes to court and denies everything, even with the overwhelming evidence against him.”
“He is not remorseful and he failed to show that substantial and compelling circumstances exist for the court to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence and I, therefore, request the court to sentence him to life imprisonment.”
Khuduga also ordered that Rampolong’s name be included on the National Register for Sex Offenders.
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