Francistown Chief Magistrate, Lorraine Makati Lesang, convicted Rabojane Gabobolokwe of Lekobeng Cattlepost for raping his step daughter in pretence that he wanted to bid her luck in her primary school examinations by applying some muti portions on her body.
According to the prosecution’s summary of facts, the accused man, in November 2007, summoned the complainant into his house while the wife had gone to Jamataka settlement.
He ordered the complainant to undress while he pasted the portions on her body, including private parts. The unsuspecting girl did as she was told. Gabobolokwe then ordered her to lie on the bed where he raped her, claiming that he was applying another type of muti portion. He raped the complainant for two consecutive days until she screamed for help and informed her mother and relatives about the incident.
Giving evidence in court, the accused indicated that he never raped the little girl, and said he found her sleeping with a certain Keletso who is a relative. He told court that he then beat both of them for performing such an act.
Magistrate Makati informed court that the accused man had failed to prove his innocence beyond reasonable doubt as witnesses, mostly relatives, had given enough evidence to court. The magistrate further projected that although the accused man may blame the relatives for creating a story against him, there was still a medical record from the doctor which made the witness an independent one without the influence of the relative.
“The medical record from the doctor who served as an independent witness states that indeed there was penetration,” said Makati.
The state prosecutor, Reneetswe Rabosotho, informed court that the accused had been requested to submit his fingerprints to find out if he had any previous convictions, but hitherto he had failed to do so.
The court ordered that he brings the fingerprints and be remanded in custody.
Sentence is to be passed on the 18th of June 2009.
