Raped schoolgirl in the night, gave her P50 in the morning
A Maun man has been found guilty of raping a 14-year-old deaf and dumb student from the school where he worked as a gardener.
It was found that on 3rd September, 2016 Oreeditse Kabo, 49, spent the night with his teenage victim, who had gone awol from Boyei Primary School with two other pupils earlier that day.
While her friends went back to school later in the day, the disabled teen was not so lucky.
During the course of the night, the Botshabelo ward resident forced her to get naked and then raped her. The next morning, he ordered her to wash, gave her P50 and told her to be on her way.
Immediately returning to school, the child was met by a curious search party. When they asked where she had been, the teen led them to a house belonging to Kabo’s brother, and relayed the events of the previous night.
Two days later, a medical examination was conducted, confirming evidence of vaginal penetration.
In pronouncing Kabo guilty last Friday, Chief Magistrate, Thebeetsile Mulalo, noted, “Her hymen was perforated and tears were also noted in her genital area. The examiner did not explain whether the penetration was forced or not but I find that the evidence corroborates her testimony that someone slept with her.”
Finding the complainant to be a credible witness, with no motive to falsely incriminate Kabo, the Magistrate added, “Being a deaf and dumb individual, she testified with assistance of an interpreter, she told the court that she knew you as a gardener in their school.
“On that day, you had asked her to visit you and she came in the company of two other students whom you asked to go back to school and she stayed behind. She further testified that you then took her to a house where you ordered her to undress and had protected sexual intercourse with her and, the following morning, you asked her to bath and gave her P50,” said Mulalo.
The suspect maintained his innocence, insisting the three girls had fled school and came to his house seeking help after being assaulted by their teachers.
However, Magistrate Mulalo dismissed this defence as highly improbable.
“The accused person said that the children went on their own to ask for help. why would they specifically go to him when there are so many people in the school. He worked at their school but there is nothing that shows that they had a close relationship for them to ask for his assistance with problems of their caretakers,” reasoned Mulalo.
“He took her to a secluded place to have sexual intercourse without disturbance. why else didn’t he take her back to school the same day with the other student?” continued the Magistrate.
Kabo, who has been out on bail, is now back behind bars on remand.
He is due in court again on 24th May for presentation of previous convictions.
