- Thapelo Jeremiah Sekhau was sentenced to 15 years for rape and attempted murder.
- He was sentenced on Thursday for crimes committed in April and September 2018.
- He also got five years for attempted murder.
A Free State man, who raped and stabbed his ex-girlfriend in 2018, was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.
Thapelo Jeremiah Sekhau was sentenced in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on Thursday for crimes committed in April and September 2018.
The first incident occurred on 1 April 2018 when he stabbed her with a broken bottle because she refused to go to his place.
The woman opened a case with local police, but abandoned it later, said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phaladi Shuping.
On Friday, 10 September, the woman encountered Sekhau on her way home from work. He wanted her to go to his place, but she refused. He then forced her to accompany him and raped her several times. He released her on the Monday.
How safe is your neighbourhood? Find out by using News24's CrimeCheck
"Sekhau admitted the incident of April 2018, but told the court that his intention, when he stabbed the complainant with a broken bottle, was to injure, but not to kill. Therefore, he was willing to plead on a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He denied raping the complainant and said the intercourse was consensual," said Shuping.
The prosecutor, Emmanuel Ali, argued for a maximum sentence. He said Sekhau had inflicted even more pain on the woman by raping her.
Ali said Sekhau showed no remorse after the woman opened a case against him.
"These are the actions of a person who has no respect for the law," said Ali.
"Rape and attempted murder are interrelated and are prevalent offences in our country. These are offences that put women at the mercy of men, and the courts must show their seriousness of dealing with the perpetrators by imposing harsh punishment on the accused."
Sekhau was given 15 years for rape and five years for attempted murder.
The sentences will run concurrently, effectively making his sentence 15 years.