The Barkly West regional court has sentenced a former warrant officer, Anthony Sekutinyane, to 15 years in prison for raping a 23-year-old woman who was in police custody.
The victim was detained at the Barkly West Police Station on August 8 2022 after her mother, who had obtained a protection order against her, called the police to intervene in a domestic dispute.
“During the night, the accused, who was the shift commander on duty, approached the holding cells and deceitfully informed the victim that he had paid R500 bail for her release,” said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane on Tuesday.
He demanded sexual favours in exchange. When the victim asked to call her sister to repay the supposed bail amount, the accused became aggressive and raped her inside the cell.
“The victim preserved her clothing, containing DNA evidence, which later confirmed the accused’s involvement.”
The woman reported the crime, leading to Sekutinyane’s arrest and dismissal from the police service.
During the trial, the accused claimed the act was consensual, alleging that he had merely “joked” about relieving stress through sexual intercourse.
The court rejected this defence, accepting the state’s case that Sekutinyane had grossly abused his authority and violated his oath to serve and protect.
“The NPA welcomes this sentence, which reinforces the principle that no-one is above the law.”
Senokoatsane said this sentence sent a strong message that those entrusted with public responsibility will face the full force of the law when they abuse their authority and violate the rights of others.
TimesLIVE
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