Limpopo man gets life for stabbing and raping sex worker he lured and left for dead in bushes
A Limpopo man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal rape and stabbing of a sex worker.
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A 35-year-old Limpopo man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Mokopane Regional Court after being found guilty of the rape of a sex worker in a violent attack that included stabbing, assault and abandonment in nearby bushes.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the sentence imposed on Elvis Tsheko Selemela of Sekgakgapeng, who was convicted under Section 51(1) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 105 of 1997 after pleading not guilty throughout the trial.
NPA spokesperson Mashudu Malabi said the court heard that the incident took place on May 26, 2023, when the victim was approached at the Mokopane Post Office while checking on a friend.
Selemela and an accomplice, who remains unknown to the State, requested her services and she agreed to accompany them to her rented accommodation.
However, the court was told that the men diverted from the agreed route and instead led the victim to a secluded area where the attack escalated into extreme violence.
“They dragged the victim, stabbed her with a knife, and assaulted her with fists before taking turns raping her,” Malabi said.
After the attack, the victim was left for dead in nearby bushes, “severely injured, bleeding, and unconscious.” She later regained consciousness and managed to crawl to the main road, where she was assisted and taken to hospital. The matter was subsequently reported to police.
Although the case was initially withdrawn pending DNA results, investigators later rearrested Selemela after forensic evidence linked him to the crime.
In aggravation of sentence, State Prosecutor Mokhobedi Desiree Tlhoaela presented a Victim Impact Statement compiled by Court Preparation Officer Lebo Ignitius Maela, which detailed the lasting trauma suffered by the victim.
The State argued that rape remains a “serious and prevalent offence within the court’s jurisdiction” and emphasised the accused’s lack of remorse, noting that he “continued to deny responsibility throughout the trial.”
Prosecutors further stressed that the victim’s rights to dignity and protection remain constitutionally guaranteed, stating: “despite being a sex worker, the victim’s constitutional rights to dignity and protection remain fundamental and must be upheld.”
The court accepted that no substantial and compelling circumstances existed to justify deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence and imposed life imprisonment.
Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Ivy Thenga, said the ruling would send a strong warning to perpetrators of gender-based violence.
“The sentence would serve as a deterrent to would-be perpetrators of gender-based violence,” adding that the prosecution team and all stakeholders involved in the case had demonstrated strong commitment in securing justice.
The National Prosecuting Authority said the sentence reflects the courts’ continued intolerance for sexual violence and violent crimes against vulnerable victims.
IOL News
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