The Maun Magistrate’s Court has convicted a 36-year-old man for raping his 48-year-old girlfriend’s mother at her home in 2021.
Weya Revero is alleged to have visited the unsuspecting woman on January 6th last year at her home in Semboyo village where he found her sitting alone by the fire place. He is then said to have asked the complainant for sexual intercourse in exchange for P50, an offer the complainant declined.
He then proceeded to force himself on the complainant, and in the process also stabbed the complainant with a knife on the chin.
During trial the accused person denied the accusations but instead told court that the woman was falsely incriminating him because she was ashamed for having slept with her daughter’s boyfriend.
As for stabbing the complainant, Revero claimed that the complainant fell on a tree log as he was trying to free himself from her while she was trying to force him to have sexual intercourse with her. He said he later agreed to have sexual intercourse with the woman and thereafter gave her P50 to buy sugar for herself and the children. The accused person said he was surprised when he was arrested the following day.
Giving testimony the investigating officer (IO) of the case, Jacob Modisaemang told court that when the matter was reported to the police, the complainant who was highly distressed was found half naked with her clothes soiled and having a cut on her chin.
When delivering the verdict Maun Chief Magistrate, Thebeetsile Mulalu indicated that the only issue for determination was whether the sexual intercourse which was confirmed by the accused to have occurred was with or without the complainant’s consent. Mulalu said state prosecution was however able to determine that the complainant was forced to have sexual intercourse with the accused person.
He noted that a doctor’s medical report on the complainant showed that she went through a struggle adding that the victim’s DNA which was found on the knife that was allegedly used during the ordeal corroborated with what the complainant said.
“I find the complainant to be a credible witness, with no motive to falsely incriminate the accused person. She gave testimony in a straight forward and consistent manner, she remained resolute as well as a witnesses,” Mulalu said.
Mulalu added that the two state witnesses, Lesang Rebakae and Mmusiemang Morake also corroborated the complainant’s statement that the accused person locked the complainant’s house with her kids inside before raping her. The witnesses are said to have helped the complainant open her door with a spade in order to enter the house.
He further noted that the two witnesses’ sworn testimony also confirmed the IO’s statement as they also indicated that the victim was highly distressed, half naked and her clothes were soiled during the night the incident is alleged to have happened.
“The accused person confessed to have used force against the complainant during the ordeal though he tried to justify his actions,” Mulalu added.
He noted that the accused person’s story is beyond doubt false, as he told lies to the court and denied that he used a knife on the complainant. Mulalu highlighted that Rovero crafted a false story about the complainant falling on a tree log but said the lie however caught up with him as evidence provided by the medical officer proved the complainant’s evidence.
The accused was subjected to an HIV test so as to know whether his status at the time of committing the offence, he will appear on the 24th June 2022 for filling of his results.
