The South African Police Service (SAPS) has welcomed the life imprisonment sentence handed to 19-year-old Alex Thato Tshipagaebonwe for the rape of a six-year-old girl in Batlharos, near Kuruman.
The brutal incident occurred on 12 September 2021 at approximately 10:00. The young victim was playing with friends in her community when she was accosted by Tshipagaebonwe.
The accused took the child into a nearby room where he raped her. Following the ordeal, the brave six-year-old reported the attack to her mother, who immediately alerted the authorities. This led to the subsequent arrest of Tshipagaebonwe.
After a legal process, the Kuruman Regional Court found Alex Thato Tshipagaebonwe guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment for the crime of rape.
In addition to his life sentence, the court ordered that Tshipagaebonwe’s name be recorded in the National Register for Sex Offenders. He was also formally declared unfit to ever possess a firearm.
