Serial rapist gets 18 years another gets 15

A 21-year-old man was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment after he was found guilty on several charges of rape and one count of house breaking in the Mahwelereng regional court last week.
Simon Buti Khoza of Tsamahansi will serve an one-year sentence for house breaking, 10 years for the one rape charge and 18 years for the other two charges of rape concurrently.
The court heard how he would burglarise his victims’ houses with his head covered in a balaclava and then rape the women. In one of the cases he overpowered a couple walking home at night and chased off the young man before dragging the woman into the bushes where he raped her.
The Mahwelereng police hoped that this conviction would send a clear message to criminals that rapists and men who fail to respect women will not be tolerated.

In another case, Japie Boshomane (29) from Mahwelereng was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment after he was found guilty on charges of rape and robbery in the Mahwelereng regional court last Wednesday.
Boshomane, who is well known to his victim, robbed her of cash and clothing after raping her. The court heard how he dragged the woman, who was five months pregnant, into some densely bushed area near her house where he raped her.
Upon hearing of his conviction the Mahwelereng community expressed their gratitude to the police for bringing this criminal to book.