South African Man Sentenced To Life Imprisonment For R3pe And M8rder Of Eight-ear-Old Girl

The Limpopo Polokwane High Court in South Africa convicted Kgopotso Mmotse Koma (29), of Mamone Village in Jane Furse, to two life terms in jail for the murder and rape of an eight-year-old child.

The court further ordered that the sentence in count one of m8rder run concurrently with the count of r3pe, with the effective sentence being life imprisonment.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a statement on Thursday, February 6, 2025, that the accused pleaded not guilty during the trial, as did the state-led witnesses.

They stated that on June 8, 2019, in Mamone village, the dead Pompo Hope Seponye was at home playing when the accused asked her to purchase him smokes from a nearby tuckshop.

After a while, the accused followed the deceased to the shop and met her on her way back.

He then led her to a nearby home owned by the accused’s friend. When the accused arrived at the house, they r3ped and strangled the deceased.

As it got late, the deceased’s parents and community members began looking for her, and they discovered her in the house, lying on the bed, half naked and dead.

The accused escaped from the scene and the police apprehended him after a few days.

When aggravating the sentence, state Advocate Rendani Mulaudzi argued that the accused was not contrite for his actions and took advantage of She went on to say that the accused violated the deceased’s right to life, and as a result, the deceased’s family was forced to transfer to another province for fear of a similar incident occurring.

She finished by arguing that there are no substantial or compelling reasons for the court to deviate from imposing the mandated minimum punishment.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Adv. Ivy Thenga, hailed the sentencing and urged the public to combat violence against women and children.

The DPP further appreciated Advocate Mulaudzi’s hard work and the efforts of all stakeholders who contributed to this outcome.he deceased’s fragility.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli