- Ephraim Malose Motebele, 35, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison on charges of rape and sexual grooming.
- The court heard how Motebele used a 15-year-old girl to lure other girls between the ages of nine and 15.
- He would let them sniff glue and while they intoxicated, Motebele would rape them, the court heard.
A 35-year-old Limpopo man has been sentenced to 40 years' imprisonment after being found guilty of four counts of rape and four counts of sexual grooming in the Modimolle regional court. His victims were between the ages of nine and 15.
According to a statement by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Monday, Ephraim Malose Motebele used a 15-year-old girl – who was also a complainant in the matter – to lure other girls in the Baipeing Phagameng area.
NPA spokesperson, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, said Motebele would let the girls sniff glue and while they were intoxicated, he would "take turns raping them".
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"On 17 September 2017, he was arrested after the brother of the complainant found [his] little sister lying in the street.
"She woke up and pointed the place where she was kept. The police were alerted to the scene and the accused was arrested in his shack with other young girls," Malabi-Dzhangi said.
Not guilty
During the trial Motebele pleaded not guilty, however, DNA results positively linked the accuse to the crime.
In mitigation of sentence he decided to remain silent, Malabi-Dzhangi said.
During aggravation of sentence, the victim impact report – compiled by a social worker – detailed the impact the rape had on the victims and their family.
"Advocate Doria Keulder Groenewal (the prosecutor) said that the complainants will live with the memory of the incident for the rest of their life.
"She asked with the court to remove the accused from the community and sentenced the accused to life imprisonment as he has destroyed the minor children," Malabi-Dzhangi explained.
The court decided to sentence Motebele to 30 years for rape and 10 years for sexual grooming, which were to run concurrently.