A 34-year-old man, Kenneth Motaung, has been sentenced to 10 years in direct imprisonment by the Senekal Regional Court for a rape committed in July 2022, following a critical DNA linkage.
The conviction stems from an incident on a July evening in 2022, when a 23-year-old woman was accosted while walking home in Senekal. An unknown man, armed with a knife, forced her into nearby bushes and raped her. The assailant fled the scene immediately after the attack.
The victim reported the crime to the Senekal police without delay, leading to the opening of a rape case. The investigation was assigned to the Serial and Electronic Crime Investigation (SECI) Unit.
The case saw a major breakthrough when forensic analysis of DNA evidence collected from the crime scene identified a person of interest. This DNA profile was successfully linked to Kenneth Motaung, who was already incarcerated at Kroonstad Prison on unrelated charges of murder and rape in Tumahole.
Under the direction of investigating officer Constable Ntholeng, a thorough investigation was conducted, including a reconstruction of the crime scene and efforts to trace potential witnesses. To confirm the match, a second DNA sample was obtained from Motaung while he was in custody. The results provided conclusive confirmation of his identity as the perpetrator in the Senekal case.
Motaung was subsequently charged and appeared in the Senekal Regional Court, where he was ultimately convicted and sentenced.
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