Molepolole Magistrate’s Court this week remanded in custody a 57-year-old blind man for allegedly raping his two-year-old granddaughter at Mokwele ward in Letlhakeng village.
The suspect, Thupego Seamogo, has been staying with the victim and her grandmother in the same house.
The girl was allegedly raped on Friday (December 4th) night after the grandmother left her with the suspect to attend to other household chores.
It is alleged that the grandmother later found her husband in the victim’s blankets zipping up his trousers while the little girl was seated on the bed without her underwear.
Seamogo told the court that he will conduct his own defence as he did not have money to engage a lawyer.
He complained that since his arrest on Friday he was taken by the police to do some test at the hospital and returned to the cells on Sunday afternoon still wearing the same tattered pair of trousers.
“My homestead is not far from the police station. I’m blind but I didn’t get much care ever since I got arrested. I have not even taken a bath. May I be given permission to collect my clothes from home,” pleaded Seamogo with a loud voice.
State prosecutor, Inspector Batsalelwang Mosebola, earlier on pleaded with the court for plea to be reserved as the investigations were still ongoing saying they have sent the swabs for forensic examination and that they were yet to record statements from some of the family members.
“We have not yet established the safety of the victim. We intend to engage the Social Welfare office to assist with the safety of the victim. Therefore I make an application for the accused to be remanded in custody,” said Inspector Mosebola.
Before remanding the accused, Magistrate Keabetswe Majuta, advised the prosecutor to assist Seamogo collect his clothes from home. The matter has been adjourned to January 11th, 2020.
The accused will be taken for a mandatory 14-days quarantine before being remanded in prison.