Tshepiso Tau, 34, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Molopo Regional Court for raping a 16-year-old girl in 2022, North West police said.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) welcomed the outcome on Saturday. It did not say when the sentence was handed down.
What the court ordered
Besides the life sentence, police say the court declared Tau unfit to possess a firearm and ordered that his name be entered in the National Sexual Offences Register.
North West Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Arthur Peter Adams praised the team behind the case. The investigating officer was Detective Constable Itumeleng Tshegetso of the Mmabatho Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, and the prosecutor was Advocate Ofentse Diseko, police said.
What police say happened
According to police, the incident took place on Saturday 12 February 2022, when the girl went to a cultural dance festival with friends. Her friends left her alone during the event. Tau offered to take her home and raped her, police said.
The girl told her mother, and the family reported the matter to police. We are not naming the survivor.
What we do not yet know
- The date of sentencing and the presiding magistrate.
- Whether Tau intends to appeal, and whether he or his lawyer has commented.
- How long the trial took.
If you or someone you know needs help after sexual violence, the national Gender-Based Violence Command Centre runs a free line on 0800 428 428.
