A South African man, Sechaba Mohapi, 42, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping his 23-year-old neighbor after she rejected his romantic advances.
The incident took place in Masike, Phelindaba, near Bloemfontein, and Mohapi was convicted at the Bloemfontein Sexual Offences Court.
The assault occurred on December 9, 2022, when the victim, a lesbian, was walking to a shop to buy milk.
Mohapi lured her into his yard under the pretense of asking her to purchase something on his behalf. Once inside, he forcibly dragged her into his house, threatened her with a knife, and r*ped her.
The victim had previously declined Mohapi’s romantic proposal, citing her sexual orientation. After the attack, he discarded her clothes outside.
Prosecutor Azola Key argued against reducing the mandatory 15-year minimum sentence, highlighting the gravity of the crime and the societal prevalence of corrective r*pe.
Mohapi’s Legal Aid representative requested leniency, noting that he was a first-time offender. However, the court upheld the sentence and ordered that Mohapi’s details be added to the National Register for Sex Offenders.
