R v Hlao (CRI/A 108 of 86) [1986] LSCA 23 (24 March 1986)

C R I / A / 1 0 8 / 86 IN T HE H I GH C O U RT OF L E S O T HO In t he A p p e al of : M O R I A NA H L AO A p p e l l a nt v R EX J U D G M E NT R e s p o n d e nt D e l i v e r ed by t he H o n. M r. J u s t i ce B . K. M o l ai on t he 2 4 th d ay of M a r c h, 1 9 8 7. T he a p p e l l a n t, a 35 y e a rs o ld t a xi d r i v e r, w as c h a r g ed w i th a nd c o n v i c t ed of r a pe b e f o re a m a g i s t r a te w i th S e c o nd C l a ss p o w e rs on t he a l l e g a t i o ns t h at on or a b o ut 3 1 st A u g u s t, 1 9 86 a nd at or n e ar Ha Ranko in t he d i s t r i ct of M a f e t e ng he u n l a w f u l ly a nd i n t e n t i o n a l ly h ad s e x u al i n t e r c o u r se w i th L y d ia L e n k o, a 15 y e a rs o ld g i rl w i t h o ut h er c o n s e n t. A s e n t e n ce of M 2 50 p l us 12 m o n t hs i m p r i s o n m e nt w as i m p o s e d. W h en t he c h a r ge w as p ut to h i m, t he a p p e l l a nt h ad p l e a d ed g u i l ty a nd t he p r o v i s i o ns of S. 2 4 0 ( 1 ) ( b) of t he C r i m i n al P r o- c e d u re a nd E v i d e n ce A c t, 1981 w e re i n v o k e d. T he f a c t s, a nd t h e se w e re a d m i t t ed as c o r r e ct by t he a p p e l l a n t, d i s c l o s ed t h at on t he l a te e v e n i ng of 3 1 st A u g u s t, 1 9 8 6, t he c o m p l a i n a nt a 15 y e a rs o ld s c h o ol g i r l, w as r e t u r n i ng f r om s c h o ol w h en s he e m b a r k ed on t he t a xi d r i v en by t he a p p e l l a n t. T h e re w e re no p a s s e n g e rs in t he t a xi b a s i d as t he c o n d u c t o r. W h en t he t a xi c a me to h er b us s t op t he c o m p l a i n a nt d id n ot a l i g h t. A f t er it h ad p a s s ed t he b us s t op t he a p p e l l a nt s t o p- p ed t he t a xi a nd p r o p o s ed ( l o v e) to t he c o m p l a i n a n t. At t h at s t a ge t he c o n d u c t or w e nt o ut l e a v i ng t he a p p e l l a nt a nd t he c o m p l a i n a nt a l o ne in t he t a x i. T he a p p e l l a nt t h en p u l l ed o ff c o m p l a i n a n t 's p a n t i es a nd s t a r t ed h a v i ng s e x u al i n t e r c o u r se w i th her. T he s e x u al i n t e r- c o u r se w as w i t h o ut c o m p l a i n a n t 's c o n s e n t. It w as n ot u n t il t he 2/ f o l l o w i ng d a y, f o l l o w i ng d a y, 1st S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 8 6, t h at t he c o m p l a i n a nt r e- t u r n ed h o m e. On a r r i v al at h o m e, c o m p l a i n a n t 's p a r e n ts q u e s t i o n ed h er as to w h e re she h ad b e en and in r e p ly s he r e p o r t ed t h at t he a p p e l l a nt h ad b e en r a p i ng h e r. T he m a t t er w as f i r st r e p o r t ed to t he v i l l a ge h e a d m an a nd t h en to t he p o l i ce w ho r e f e r r ed c o m p l a i n a nt to a m e d i c al d o c t or f or e x a m i n a t i o n. It w as o n ly on 2nd S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 86 t h at t he m e d i c al d o c t or e x a m i n ed h er and m a de a r e p o rt t h at c o m p l a i n a nt h ad f a c i al i n j u r i es v i z. a s w o l l en e ye and t w o ( 2) s c r a t c h e s. T he h y m en w as t o rn b ut no v a g i n al s m e a rs c o u ld be d e t e c t ed as t he e x a m i n a t i on w as m a de t wo d a ys a f t er t he a l l e g ed i n c i d e n t. T he m e d i c al d o c t or f o r m ed t he o p i n i on t h at r e c e nt i n t e r c o u r se h ad t a k en p l a c e. On 2 nd S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 86 t he a p p e l l a nt w as a r r e s t e d, c a u t i o n ed and c h a r g ed as a f o r e s a i d. T he a p p e al w as i n i t i a l ly a g a i n st b o th c o n v i c t i on a nd s e n t e n ce on t he g r o u n ds t h at in t he c i r c u m s t a n c es of t he c a se t he t r i al m a g i s t r a te s h o u ld h a ve e n t e r ed a p l ea of n ot g u i l t y, t he a ge of t he c o m p l a i n a nt w as n ot p r o v e d. T he s t a t e- m e nt of f a c ts g i v en by t he p u b l ic p r o s e c u t or in s u p p o rt of t he c h a r ge d i f f e r ed f r om t he m e d i c al e v i d e n ce in m a t e r i al r e s p e c ts a nd t he s e n t e n ce w as e x c e s s i v e. W h en t he m a t t er c a me f or a r g u m e nt D r. T s o t si w ho r e p r e- s e n t ed t he a p p e l l a nt in t h is m a t t er t o ld t he c o u rt t h at t he a p p e al a g a i n st s e n t e n ce w as w i t h d r a wn a nd t he q u e s t i on of t he c o m p l a i n a n t 's a ge a b a n d o n e d. A c c o r d i ng to t he r e c o rd of p r o c e e d i n gs w h e n, on 3 rd S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 8 6, he a p p e a r ed b e f o re t he t r i al c o u r t, t he c h a r ge w as r e ad a nd e x p l a i n ed to t he A p p e l l a nt w ho t h en p l e a d ed g u i l t y. T h at b e i ng s o, t he t r i al m a g i s t r a te h ad no a l t e r n a t i ve b ut to enter a p l ea of g u i l t y. W h at t he a p p e l l a nt is h a v i ng in m i nd i s, p e r h a p s, t h at a f t er he h ad g i v en h is r e p ly to t he q u e s t i on w h e t h er or n ot he a d m i t t ed t he f a c ts as o u t l i n ed by t he p u b l ic p r o s e c u t o r, t he t r i al m a g i s t r a te s h o u ld h a ve a l t e r ed t he " p l ea of g u i l t y" to t h at of o n ly if t he a p p e l l a n t 's r e p ly w as t h at he d id n ot a d m it t he In my v i ew t he m a g i s t r a te c o u ld do so " n ot g u i l t y ". 3/ f a c ts as f a c ts as o u t l i n ed by t he p u b l ic p r o s e c u t o r. W h e re the a p p e l l a nt h ad as in t he p r e s e nt c a se c a t a g o r i c a l ly t o ld t he c o u rt t h at he a d m i t t ed t he f a c ts as o u t l i n ed by t he p u b l ic p r o s e c u t o r, t he t r i al m a g i s t r a te c o u ld n o t, in my v i ew h a ve a l t e r ed t he p l ea of g u i l ty to t h at of n ot g u i l t y. In t he c i r c u m s t a n c es of t h is c a se t h e re is, t h e r e f o r e, no s u b s t a n ce in t he g r o u nd of a p p e al t h at t he m a g i s t r a te s h o u ld h a ve e n t e r ed a p l ea of n ot g u i l t y. In o u t l i n i ng t he f a c ts in h is p o s s e s s i o n, t he p u b l ic p r o s e c u t or s t a t ed t h at h ad he n ot p l e a d ed g u i l ty to t he c h a r ge he w o u ld h a ve a d d u c ed e v i d e n ce to s h ow t h at t he a p p e l l a nt h ad h ad s e x u al i n t e r c o u r se w i th t he c o m p l a i n a n t. T he m e d i c al r e p o rt w o u ld a l so s h ow t h at t he d o c t or w ho h ad e x a m i n ed t he c o m p l a i n a nt on 2 nd S e p t e m b e r, 1986 f o r m ed t he o p i n i on t h at s e x u al i n t e r c o u r se h ad in f a ct r e c e n t ly t a k en p l a c e. T h at g r a n t e d, I am u n a b le to a p p r e h e nd h ow t he a p p e l l a nt c a n, u n d er t he 3rd g r o u nd of a p p e a l, s e r i o u s ly c o n- t e nd t h at t he statement of f a c ts g i v en by t he p u b l ic p r o s e c u t or in s u p p o rt of t he c h a r ge d i f f e r ed f r om t he m e d i c al e v i d e n ce in m a t e r i al r e s p e c t s. I n d e ed I w as t o ld in a r g u m e nt t h at t he a p p e l l a nt h i m s e lf d id n ot d i s p u te t h at he had had s e x u al in- t e r c o u r se w i th t he c o m p l a i n a n t. In my v i ew t h e re is no s u b- s t a n ce in t he 3rd g r o u nd of a p p e al w h i ch m u st a l so f a ll a w a y. H a v i ng a c c e p t ed t h at t he a p p e l l a nt d id h a ve s e x u al i n t e r- c o u r se w i th t he c o m p l a i n a n t, t he s a l i e nt q u e s t i on w as w h e t h er or n ot it w as w i th h er c o n s e n t. I h a ve g i v en s e r i o us c o n- s i d e r a t i on to t he f a c ts t h at w h en t he t a xi c a me to h er b us s t op t he c o m p l a i n a nt did n ot a l i g h t; a f t er the t a xi h ad p a s s ed t he b us s t op t he a p p e l l a nt s t o p p ed it and p r o p o s ed ( l o v e) to t he c o m p l a i n a n t; w h en s he r e t u r n ed h o me on t he f o l- l o w i ng d a y, 1st S e p t e m b e r, 1 9 86 it w as o n ly in r e p ly to a q u e s t i on by h er p a r e n ts t h at c o m p l a i n a nt r e p o r t ed t h at t he a p p e l l a nt h ad r a p ed her. R e g a rd b e i ng had to all t h e se f a c ts it m ay w e ll be said at t he t i me t he s e x u al i n t e r c o u r se t o ok p l a c e, t he c o m p l a i n a nt and t he a p p e l l a nt w e re l o v e r s. B ut c an it be c o n c l u d e d , f r om t he f a ct t h at at t he t i me it t o ok p l a c e , t he a p p e l l a nt and t he c o m p l a i n a nt w e re l o v e r s, t h at t he s e x u al i n t e r c o u r se w as w i th 4/ t he l a t t e r ' s . . . . . . .. t he l e t t e r 's c o n s e nt - I can e n v i s a ge a s i t u a t i on w h e re a girl f a l ls in love w i th a man but r e f u s es to h a ve sexual i n t e r c o u r se w i th h im - T he c o n c l u s i on w o u ld in my v i ew be a n o n - s e q u i t u r. A c c o r d i ng to t he f a c ts o u t l i n ed by t he p u b l ic p r o s e c u t or a n d, i n d e e d, a d m i t t ed by the a p p e l l a nt h i m s e lf t he sexual i n t e r c o u r se took p l a ce w i t h o ut the c o n s e nt of t he c o m p l a i n a n t. T h e re is no good r e a s o n, in my v i e w, w hy the trial c o u rt s h o u ld h a ve r e j e c t ed t he f a ct a d m i t t ed by t he a p p e l l a nt t h at t he sexual i n t e r c o u r se did t a ke p l a ce w i t h o ut the c o m p l a i n a n t 's c o n s e n t. A s s u m i ng t he c o r r e c t n e ss of t he view I h a ve t a k en on this p o i n t, it m u st be a c c e p t ed t h at t he a n s w er to t he q u e s t i on w h e t h er or not sexual i n t e r c o u r se took p l a ce w i th t he c o n s e nt of the c o m p l a i n a nt is in t he n e g a t i v e. A l t h o u gh the a p p e al a g a i n st the s e n t e n ce was w i t h d r a wn it w as p o i n t ed o ut in a r g u m e nt t h at the s e n t e n ce i m p o s ed by t he learned trial m a g i s t r a te w as i r r e g u l ar in t h at t he a p p e l l a nt w as to pay a f i ne and s e r ve a term of i m p r i s o n m e n t. It i s, h o w e v e r, to be o b s e r v ed t h at S.62(2) of t he S u b o r d i n a te C o u r ts P r o c l a m a t i on N o. 58 of 1 9 38 e m p o w e r ed the trial m a g i s t r a te to p u n i sh t he a p p e l l a nt by both p a y m e nt of a f i ne and a t e rm of i m p r i s o n m e n t. T he S e c t i on reads : " ( 2) A ny p e r s on c o n v i c t ed of any o f f e n ce m ay be p u n i s h ed by both such f i ne and such i m p r i s o n- m e nt or by both such i m p r i s o n m e nt and such w h i p p i n g, but an o f f e n d er shall not f or t he s a me o f f e n ce be p u n i s h ed both by f i ne and by w h i p p i n g ." If t he a p p e l l a nt d o es not pay t he f i n e, t he m a g i s t r a te m ay d e c i de on t he l e g a l i ty of s u b s t i t u t i ng c o r p o r al p u n i s h m e nt for p a y m e nt of a f i n e. I am n ot c o n v i n c e d , t h e r e f o r e, t h at t he s e n t e n ce i m p o s ed by the trial m a g i s t r a te is i r r e g u l a r. For the f o r e g o i ng r e a s o n s, I c o me to the c o n c l u s i on t h at t h is a p p e al o u g ht n ot to s u c c e ed and m i s s e d. it is a c c o r d i n g ly d i s- For A p p e l l a nt : M r. T s o t si N k u. : F or C r o wn M i ss B. K. M O L AI J U D GE 24th M a r c h, 1 9 8 7.