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Maun Chief Magistrate Thebeetsile Mulalu has revoked bail for a 35-year-old man of Masalenyane cattle post near Bodibeng village accused of defiling a young girl of the same cattle post.
This comes after the accused person failed to appear before court since the 2nd November 2022, consequently violating his bail conditions that ordered him to appear before court for mentions at any given dates.
The accused person’s excuses that he did not have transport money to come to Maun for mention could not be entertained by Mulalu as he questioned why the accused failed to inform the police officer in Bodibeng of his predicament. The accused person had claimed that it did not come to his mind to inform the said officer.
The accused person is alleged to have between the 10th and 11th June 2020 at Masalenyane cattle post unlawfully had canal knowledge of the complainant who is under the age of 18. It is said that on the 10th the complainant’s mother left her and her siblings at the cattle post to check on her ill son in Bodibeng village.
It is further alleged that upon her return to the cattle post the following day, she found that the victim was not home and when she enquired about her whereabouts, the siblings revealed that the victim left the same night her mother went to Bodibeng without tell them where she was going.
Information brought before court is that a search for the victim began and upon failing to locate her, a missing person report was filed before Sehithwa police on the 12th of June. The police are said to have joined in the search and also interrogated the accused person who later revealed that the victim is at Lathamotlo cattle post where she was later found with her grandmother.
Court papers have revealed that upon further interrogation after the victim was found it was discovered that the victim had disappeared with the accused person on the night of the 10th June and spent the night together engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse.
Meanwhile the State prosecution has told court that they are ready to commence trial as investigations on the matter are complete and the 10th and 13th June 2024 were subsequently set as trial dates.
The accused person will appear on the 28th November 2023 for mention and confirmation trial dates.
