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Judge orders HIV test for man who raped teenager

by Lesotho Times
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MASERU — A 25-year-old man was on Tuesday ordered to undergo an HIV test after he was convicted of abducting and raping a 16-year-old girl by the Maseru Magistrate’s Court.

Sekonyana Mabesa, from Mazenod, was found guilty of abducting the girl and raping her outside her home on August 30 2009.

Mabesa pleaded guilty to the charge but stunned the court when he said he had gone to the victim’s house to buy dagga when the crime occurred.

Magistrate Molemo Monethi then ordered that Mabesa undergo an HIV test to determine his status before judgment on the matter could be passed.

“I hereby order that you go for an HIV/Aids test at any government hospital in the country. You will be sentenced after 14 days. (You should come back to court) on the 20th April,” Monethi said.

Earlier on crown counsel Tsietsi Hlaele said the victim, whose name the Lesotho Times has withheld to protect her identity, was 16 at the time the crime was committed.

Hlaele said the court would have called the young woman to testify if Mabesa had pleaded not guilty.

“The victim was 16 years old when she was raped. She said she was at her home at around 1900hrs-2000hrs when two men arrived at her home to buy tobacco,” Hlaele said.

He said the girl left the house to collect clothes from the line while Mabesa and his accomplice, Ts’eliso Masilela, paid for their dagga. Hlaele said the girl was however stunned when Mabesa grabbed her by the hand and abducted her.

Hlaele said the girl screamed for help but Mabesa put his hand on her mouth to block her screams.

“Masilela, who was with the accused, assisted his friend in abducting the girl. They slapped her and when they were outside the village, he left the girl (in the company of Mabesa).

“The complainant said Mabesa ordered her to undress and when she refused, he beat her up,” Hlaele said.

He said Mabesa had also asked the girl to kiss him and when she refused, he slapped her.

“They wrestled . . . until she was tired. He undressed her and raped her without using a condom,” Hlaele told the court.

He said the girl later demanded to go back to her home but he refused to let her go telling her that he was marrying her.

“Ts’eliso (Masilela) told Mabesa that he should marry her since he had slept with her. They went to the home of Pule Mabesa (an uncle of the accused) whom he told that he had married a wife,” Hlaele said.

He said the girl was later taken to Mabesa’s grandmother but she refused to accept her arguing Mabesa was already married. The girl was later taken to her parents’ home who reported the matter to the police.

The case was postponed to April 20 for sentencing.

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