Tebogo Msimanga |
The Ga-Rankuwa Regional Court sentenced a 67-year-old Oupa Kgomo, to life imprisonment for raping an 8-year-old step-granddaughter. He was also registered in the national register of sexual offenders and the court declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
North West National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Henry Mamothame said Kgomo’s conviction emanates from incidents that occurred between January 2017, and December 2018, in Klipgat, where the accused stayed with the complaint’ and her grandmother, whom he was in a relationship with.
“Evidence led in court revealed that Kgomo, raped the complainant whenever the grandmother went out of the house to run errands”.
Mamothame added that in December 2018, the complainant’s aunt noticed some unusual behaviour of the complainant, who was constantly crying and had ceased to play with her friends. “Upon enquiring, the complainant told the aunt about her sexual ordeal with Kgomo. The matter was reported to the police and she was subsequently taken for a medical check, which confirmed that the child was violated. The accused was subsequently arrested but the court granted him R1000. He pleaded not guilty to the offence”.
In aggravation of the sentence, Adv Mummy Mosonodi urged the court not to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence of life imprisonment. She further argued that Kgomo took advantage of a child whom he was supposed to protect as she trusted him.
