NORTHERN CAPE — A 21-year-old man, Monnapula Abel Lobese, has received a life sentence from the Atamelang Regional Court following his conviction for the rape of a 15-year-old girl. The sentencing was formally handed down on Monday, 29 June 2026, concluding a case that originated from a violent armed attack in 2019.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on the evening of Friday, 19 July 2019, at approximately 19:35. Court proceedings revealed that the teenage victim and a companion were walking home from a local filling station in Setlagole when they were intercepted by Lobese.
Armed with a knife, Lobese threatened the two girls, prompting them to attempt an escape out of fear for their lives. Lobese, however, managed to seize the 15-year-old victim and forcibly abducted her to an abandoned house in the area, where the sexual assault took place.
The evidence presented during the trial successfully secured the conviction, leading the regional court to impose the maximum penalty of life imprisonment for the crime.
