An imprisoned rapist has been sentenced to 10 more years in jail for another three rapes‚ but he may not spend any more time behind bars in the end.
Magistrate Hleziphe Nkasibe said in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg on Thursday that the sentence was sufficient in serving the purposes of retribution and rehabilitation.
Nkasibe was sentencing Jacob Mokoele‚ 35‚ who pleaded guilty to the rapes and to one charge of robbery.
“Violence against women will not be tolerated. Rape is considered a heinous crime‚” said Nkasibe.
She also sentenced Mokoele to 15 years for the robbery.
Mokoele committed the crimes over a period of three months in 2011‚ when he randomly selected and attacked the women in Linden and Randburg in Johannesburg.
One of the woman was beaten by Mokoele after the rape and he stole her cellphone and charger. The woman’s baby was also in the house at the time.
Nkasibe said: “[Your] monstrous actions hurt [the women’s] well-being and will haunt [them] for the rest of [their] life.”
Mokoele is already in prison serving seven life sentences for past crimes including rape‚ robbery with aggravating circumstances‚ housebreaking and theft.
The new sentences will run concurrently with the life terms‚ which means Mokoele will not spend more time in prison.
The prescribed minimum sentence for rape is life imprisonment — an effective 25 years — if someone is convicted of multiple rapes. A court can impose a lesser sentence if there are “substantial and compelling circumstances” to do so.
Germaine Vogel of Women and Men Against Child Abuse said unless life sentences were consistently imposed in rape cases we will not eradicate them from our society.
Nkasibe said the fact that Mokoele was remorseful and wanted to apologise to the victims if ever given the opportunity counted in his favour. She added he did not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty.
Law professor Stephan Terblanche of the University of South Africa said in a case like this the sentencing becomes academic because Mokoele was already serving multiple life sentences.
He said‚ however‚ that the parole board should consider the new sentences should Mokoele apply to be released on parole.
Clare Ballard from Lawyers for Human Rights said it was unusual that a longer sentence was handed down for robbery than rape‚ but that it may be justified if the robbery was aggravated.
Imprisoned rapist gets 10 years for three more rapes
An imprisoned rapist has been sentenced to 10 more years in jail for another three rapes‚ but he may not spend any more time behind bars in the end.
Magistrate Hleziphe Nkasibe said in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg on Thursday that the sentence was sufficient in serving the purposes of retribution and rehabilitation.
Nkasibe was sentencing Jacob Mokoele‚ 35‚ who pleaded guilty to the rapes and to one charge of robbery.
“Violence against women will not be tolerated. Rape is considered a heinous crime‚” said Nkasibe.
She also sentenced Mokoele to 15 years for the robbery.
Mokoele committed the crimes over a period of three months in 2011‚ when he randomly selected and attacked the women in Linden and Randburg in Johannesburg.
One of the woman was beaten by Mokoele after the rape and he stole her cellphone and charger. The woman’s baby was also in the house at the time.
Nkasibe said: “[Your] monstrous actions hurt [the women’s] well-being and will haunt [them] for the rest of [their] life.”
Mokoele is already in prison serving seven life sentences for past crimes including rape‚ robbery with aggravating circumstances‚ housebreaking and theft.
The new sentences will run concurrently with the life terms‚ which means Mokoele will not spend more time in prison.
The prescribed minimum sentence for rape is life imprisonment — an effective 25 years — if someone is convicted of multiple rapes. A court can impose a lesser sentence if there are “substantial and compelling circumstances” to do so.
Germaine Vogel of Women and Men Against Child Abuse said unless life sentences were consistently imposed in rape cases we will not eradicate them from our society.
Nkasibe said the fact that Mokoele was remorseful and wanted to apologise to the victims if ever given the opportunity counted in his favour. She added he did not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty.
Law professor Stephan Terblanche of the University of South Africa said in a case like this the sentencing becomes academic because Mokoele was already serving multiple life sentences.
He said‚ however‚ that the parole board should consider the new sentences should Mokoele apply to be released on parole.
Clare Ballard from Lawyers for Human Rights said it was unusual that a longer sentence was handed down for robbery than rape‚ but that it may be justified if the robbery was aggravated.
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