A 40-year-old man, Moganedi Sello Koos has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Thabamoopo Regional Court in Limpopo, South Africa for having unlawful carnal knowledge of his girlfriend’s 16-year-old daughter.
Koos was sentenced on Tuesday, October 31, 2023, after he was convicted on charges of r*pe and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Limpopo provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, November 1, said the r*pe incident happened at around 4am on April 16, 2017, at Magatle village.
The court heard that the teenage girl was alone at home, and her mother had visited the cemetery for a candlelight vigil.
”The accused (Koos), who happened to be her mother’s boyfriend, forcefully broke into the victim’s house and threatened the victim to comply or he would stab her with the knife. He then ordered the girl to undress and he r*ped her,” said Mashaba.
Afterwards, he robbed the teenager of two cellphones and fled the scene.
“The incident was reported to the police, who opened cases of r*pe and robbery with aggravating circumstances,” said Mashaba.
“The case was sent to the family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit in Mokopane for further investigation. Sergeant Mogale Billy was tasked to investigate the case further.
In June 2020, police said Koos was linked to the heinous crime through DNA, and he was arrested.
“The investigating officer managed to oppose bail until the accused was found guilty,” said Mashaba.
“The accused was convicted and sentenced on the following charges – count one of r*pe, Koos was sentenced to life imprisonment; and on count two, of robbery with aggravating circumstances, he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.”
Both sentences will run concurrently.
Koos was also declared unfit to possess a firearm, and his particulars will be included in the National Register for Sexual Offences.
Meanwhile, provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has welcomed the hefty sentence.
“This sentence sends a clear message that crime does not pay. As parents, it is our responsibility to protect and secure our children, not to leave them unattended,” said Hadebe.
