An abortionist who raped a 24-year-old woman while ostensibly trying to terminate her pregnancy has failed to overturn his conviction and 10-year prison sentence.

The Pretoria High Court said this week that John Sekamette “took advantage of a young woman in a desperate situation” by pretending to be a doctor and raping her in the Daveyton shack he used as a surgery.

Sekamette distributed pamphlets advertising abortions at the taxi rank near Daveyton Mall on the East Rand‚ and when the woman discovered she was pregnant she called the advertised number and paid R250 for four tablets‚ Judge AC Basson said in his appeal judgment.

When the pills did not work‚ the “doctor” introduced her to Sekamette‚ who took her to his shack and told her to put three pills in her mouth and one in her vagina. Telling her to lie on her back and close her eyes‚ he then raped her.

The woman reported the incident to police and Sekamette was arrested a few months later at his new surgery‚ where the victim identified him as her attacker. Basson said the community had burnt down his old premises.

The judge said the victim was “extremely vulnerable” at the time of the attack. “Although (Sekamette) did not use violence‚ it does not … detract from the seriousness of the crime‚” he said.