Limpopo man gets two lives terms for rape of an eight-year-old girl

The Limpopo Polokwane High Court has sentenced Kgopotso Mmotse Koma [29] of Mamone Village in Jane Furse, to two life term imprisonment for murder and rape of an eight-year-old girl.

The court further ordered that the sentence in count one of murder should run concurrently with the count of rape, the effective sentence to be served is life imprisonment.

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Koma pleaded not guilty during the trial and the state-led witnesses. They testified that on 8 June 2019, at Mamone village, Sekhukhune, the deceased Pompo Hope Seponye, was at home playing when the accused requested her to buy him cigarettes at a local tuckshop.

After a while, the accused followed the deceased to the shop. He met her while on her way back. He then took her to a nearby house owned by the accused’s friend.

KGOPOTSO MMOTSE KOMA HAS BEEN SENTENCED FOR RAPE AND MURDER OF A YOUNG GIRL

Upon arrival at the house, the accused raped and strangled the deceased.  As it was getting late, the deceased’s parents and the community members started searching for her. They found the deceased in the house lying on the bed, half naked and dead. The accused fled from the scene and the police arrested him after a few days.

When aggravating the sentence, the state Advocate Rendani Mulaudzi, submitted that the accused was not remorseful of his conduct. He took advantage of the deceased’s vulnerability.

She further said that the accused violated the deceased’s right to life and due to this offence, the family of the deceased had to relocate to another province as they lived in fear that a similar incident could take place.

She concluded by submitting that there are no substantial or compelling circumstances for the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence.