DNA links man to a rape 14 years ago

A man who snuck into a house and raped a woman who was fast asleep got away with the crime for 13 years until his DNA was taken during an unrelated matter last year, only for it to point him out as the rapist being sought for the 2010 rape.

Spokesperson for the Northern Cape police Col Cherelle Ehlers said the advancement in forensics provided a breakthrough that police had been looking for, which led to a successful prosecution of Mervin Cloete.

According to Ehlers, the case against Cloete had to be closed two years after being opened as there were no leads because his sleeping victim had not seen him and no-one had seen him enter and leave the house in Okiep, a small town outside Springbok.

"There was no evidence, no suspect ... nothing as the victim did not know who had raped her," Ehlers said.

However, last year the case was reopened after Cloete was arrested for contravening a protection order that his girlfriend had taken out against him.

"His buccal sample was taken as that is a serious offence. The sample was entered into the system and that's how he was linked to the crime."

It was then discovered that it matched with the DNA from a rape that occurred in 2010.

According to spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in the province Mojalefa Senokoatsane, the woman – who was 30 years old at the time – was with friends following a night of drinking after a party in December 2010 when she fell asleep in a drunken stupor.

She was woken up by a friend at about 11pm.

"The complainant immediately felt that something was off. She realised that her pants and underwear were cut between her legs, and she felt wet in her private parts. She informed her friend that she suspected that she had been violated since her pants and underwear were cut between the legs, and because she smelt like someone who just had intercourse," said Senokoatsane.

Police were called and the DNA of all the men in the house was taken but none was of the rapist.

For two years, Det W/O Anthea Cloete-Landrew of the Springbok family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit followed every lead she could but always reached a dead end. She ended up closing the case but got a call last year which would prove to be a breakthrough.

The DNA she had submitted for a 2010 rape had finally been matched with the perpetrator.

Cloete-Landrew had to reopen the case, find the victim and take her statement again.

"The victim was extremely emotional when she heard the news and the statement could not be immediately taken," Ehlers said.

During the trial, Cloete said he had consensual sex with the victim but all the witnesses who were in the house at the time disputed his version, saying the victim could not have given consent as she was in a drunken stupor at the time.

Cloete was found guilty of rape two weeks ago and sentenced to 15 years.

According to Ehlers, Cloete-Landrew was relieved that she could finally close the case.

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