DNA evidence sealed a Galeshewe rapist's fate.
Image: DFA / Created with DALL·E
A 30-YEAR-OLD Galeshewe man will spend the next 15 years behind bars after DNA evidence linked him to the rape of a young woman who was attacked while she slept at a social gathering.
Northern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Sergio Kock said the crime occurred on December 18, 2022, when the 20-year-old victim was raped in a bedroom during a party.
She reportedly lost consciousness during the ordeal and only discovered the horrifying truth when she woke up the following morning to find a stranger beside her.
A meticulous investigation by detectives attached to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit in the Northern Cape led to the arrest of Tshwaro Sebogodi. Forensic analysis confirmed that his DNA matched the biological evidence collected at the scene.
Sebogodi was tried and convicted in the Kimberley Regional Court, where he received a sentence of 15 years’ direct imprisonment for rape. The court also ruled that he is unfit to possess a firearm, and his name has been added to the National Register for Sex Offenders.
The acting provincial commissioner of the Northern Cape, Major-General Luntu Ngubelanga, hailed the outcome as a strong reminder of the province’s zero-tolerance approach to gender-based violence.
He also commended Detective Warrant Officer Daniel Satisfied of the Galeshewe FCS Unit for his “diligent investigation” that ensured justice for the victim.
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