The Regional Court in Mokopane on Tuesday 11 July 2023 convicted and sentenced a 23-year-old male Jankie Jan Thulare to life imprisonment for rape of a 5-year-old girl.

The court heard that the accused Jankie raped a 5-year-old girl on 29 April 2017 at about 17:45, when the victim was playing with other children at the accused’s residence at Sodoma village in Waterberg District.

The Court heard that the accused forcefully grabbed the victim and went outside on the street, ordered her to undress and then sexually assaulted her, until the victim’s mother heard familiar cry of her daughter.

She went closer then discovered that the accused was busy raping her child. The victim’s mother then informed the community who assisted her to report the incident to the family of the accused and to the police.

The victim was taken to the nearest hospital for medical attention as the mother discovered that the child was in pain.

The case of rape was opened at SAPS Gilead and transferred to Mokopane Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) for further investigations.

The accused was successfully traced and arrested on Wednesday 16 February 2022.

Sergeant Lesetja Frans Langa was assigned to investigate the case and successfully opposed bail against the accused until he was convicted for rape and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm and the Court also ordered for his names to be endorsed in the National register for Sexual offenders and he is deemed unsuitable to work with children.

The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has welcomed the outcome.

Source: South African Police Service