Neighbour sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping a 7-year-old girl in Mahodi village 

The Senwabarwana Regional Court had on Monday, 31 March 2025, handed down a hefty sentence of 20 years imprisonment to a 20-year-old male convicted of raping a 7-year-old girl in Mahodi village, Mogwadi, Capricorn District.

The incident occurred on 05 September 2017, at Mohodi village, where the victim’s grandmother sent her to fetch a house key from the neighbour’s grandson.

Upon the victim’s return, her grandmother noticed signs of distress, including red eyes and dry tears. The victim initially denied anything was amiss but later revealed that a 20 year-old neighbour had cut her hair in the bedroom, instructed her to lie on her stomach and then raped her.

The accused was arrested on September 5, 2017, at approximately 21:00, and later granted bail. He was found guilty on 06 December 2024 and subsequently sentenced on 31 March 2025 to 20 years direct imprisonment.

In addition to the prison sentence, the court declared the accused unfit to possess a firearm, ordered his inclusion in the National Register for Sexual Offenses, and deemed him unsuitable to work with children, his particulars will also be included in Part B of the National Child Protection Register.