R v Moletsane (CRI/REV 15 of 91) [1991] LSCA 39 (8 April 1991)

C R I / R E V / 1 5 / 91 IN T HE H I GH C O U RT OF L E S O T HO In t he m a t t er of : R EX v L E A T I LE M O L E T S A NE J U D G M E NT D e l i v e r ed by t he H o n. M r. J u s t i ce M. L. L e h o h la on t he 8 th d ay of A p r i l, 1991 T he a c c u s ed w as c o n v i c t ed in t he C o u rt b e l ow of t he o f f e n ce of r a pe p e r p e t r a t ed a g a i n st a 18 y e ar o ld girl of M a q o a la in t he M o h a l e 's H o ek d i s t r i ct on 9th D e c e m b e r, 1 9 8 9. T he c o u rt b e l ow i m p o s ed a f i ve y e ar j a il t e rm in a c c o r d a n ce w i th t he m i n i m um p e n a l t i es O r d er 10 of 1 9 8 8. T he m a g i s t r a te c o n c e r n ed w as p o s s e s s ed of S e c o nd C l a ss s e n t e n c i ng p o w e r s. W h en t he r e c o rd of p r o c e e d i n gs f r om t he c o u rt b e l ow r e a c h ed t h is C o u rt it w as d e c i d ed t h at t he a c c u s ed s h o u ld be a l e r t ed t h at it w o u ld be d e s i r a b le on t he h e a r i ng d a te t h at he s h o u ld a v a il h i m s e lf of t he s e r v i c es of c o u n s el w ho s h o u ld be p r e p a r ed to a r g ue w hy t he s e n t e n ce s h o u ld n ot be a p p r e c i a b ly e n h a n c ed s h o u ld t he c o n v i c t i on be c o n f i r m e d. T he a r g u m e n ts w e re c o n c l u d ed l a te in M a r ch and j u d g m e nt w as r e s e r v ed t i ll 9th A p r i l, 1 5 9 1. T he f o l l o w i ng a re r e a s o ns f or j u d g m e nt /P. W.1 - 2 - P. W.1 t e s t i f i ed t h at on t he d ay in q u e s t i on she w as g o i ng to T l o k o t s i ng w h en a y o u ng m an c a l l ed h er by n a me and s u g g e s t ed t h at he w o u ld l i ke to s l e ep w i th h e r. T he c o m p l a i n a nt who did n ot k n ow t h is y o u ng m an a s k ed h ow he k n ew h e r. T he y o u ng m an r e p l i ed t h at he had p r e v i o u s ly s e en h er at a c o n c e r t. T h e re and t h en t he c o m p l a i n a nt f l e d. In t he p r o c e ss h er s h oe f e ll o f f. T he y o u ng m an w ho w as a p p a r e n t ly not p u r s u i ng t he c o m p l a i n a nt u s ed t h at s h oe as a b a it by m e a ns of w h i ch he e n t i c ed t he c o m p l a i n a nt to c o me and c o l l e ct h er s h o e. When t he c o m p l a i n a nt c a me a l o ng t he a c c u s ed g r a b b ed h o ld of h e r, b e at h er in t he p e l v is a r ea w i th a s t i c k, f e l l ed h er to t he g r o u nd a nd h a v i ng p u l l ed t he c o m p l a i n a n t 's p a n t i es he had sex w i th h e r. T he c o m p l a i n a nt w as c r y i ng t h r o u g h o ut t he p e r i od of t he a s s a u lt on h e r. S he a l so t o ld t he c o u rt b e l ow t h at s he w as b l e e d i ng f r om h er p r i v a te p a r t s. T he a c c u s ed s u g g e s t ed to h er u n d er c r o s s- e x a m i n a t i on t h at he w as n ot in L e s o t ho d u r i ng t he p e r i od w i t h in w h o se e x t e nt t he d ay in q u e s t i on f e l l. But P. W.1 t o ld t he a c c u s ed t he m a n n er of h is a p p a r el on t h at d a y, i n c l u d i ng t he a c c u s e d 's p a ir of w h i te g u m - b o o t s. P . W .2 J o s e ph P i t so w ho k n o ws t he a c c u s ed v e ry w e ll a d a m a n t ly t o ld t he c o u rt t h at t he a c c u s ed w as n ot o u t s i de L e s o t ho d u r i ng t he p e r i od of t he e v e n t. He t e s t i f i ed t h at t he a c c u s ed w as w e a r i ng a w h i te p a ir of g u m - b o o ts on t he d ay in q u e s t i on a nd w as a l so c a r r y i ng a s t i c k. He t e s t i f i ed t h at he had s e en t he a c c u s ed e a r l i er t h at d a y. P . W .2 m et h im a f t er he had l e a r nt f r om P. W.1 t h at s he w as g o i ng to T l o k o t s i n g. T he a c c u s ed e v en a s k ed P. W.2 w ho t he g i rl who h ad j u st c r o s s ed p a t hs w i th P . W .2 w a s. An h o ur or so a f t e r w a r ds P . W .2 h e a rd P. W.1 s h o ut at h i m. He d i s c o v e r ed t h at s he w as c r y i n g. S he w as s o i l ed / w i th -8- with dirt and covered with loose grass at her back. A s k ed by t he a c c u s ed w hy P . W .2 a s s o c i a t ed t he a c c u s ed w i th t he o f f e n ce P . W .2 s t a t ed t h at t he m a n n er of d r e ss a nd d e s c r i p t i on of t he a c c u s ed g i v en by P. W.1 f i t t ed the a c c u s e d. P. W.3 ' M A M O S HE M o n a re w ho d id n ot k n ow t he a c c u s ed or w h o e v er was a c c o m p a n y i ng t he a c c u s ed f o l l o w i ng t he road l e a d i ng to T l o k o t s i ng said one of the two had white gum-boots on. T he m e d i c al r e p o rt w h i ch w as a c c e p t ed by t he d e f e n ce and a d m i t t ed in e v i d e n ce s h o w ed t h at t he c o m p l a i n a n t 's v a g i na w as b r u i s e d, t h at it h ad a w h i t i sh d i s c h a r ge and a p p e a r ed to h a ve n ot had s e x u al c o n t a ct b e f o re t he e v e nt t h at led to the Doctor's performance of the e x a m i n a t i on w h i ch w as p a i n f u l. T he h y m en w as g o n e. T he v a g i na a d m i t t ed o ne f i n g e r. T h e re w e re i n j u r i es c o r r e s p o n d i ng to t he a l l e g ed a s s a u l ts on left i l i ac c r e st and o c c i p i t al r e g i o n. Regarding h is d e f e n ce t he a c c u s e d 's s t o ry as to h is w h e r e a b o u ts d i f f e r ed f r om t he s u g g e s t i on he had m a de to P. W.1 and P . W .2 t h at he w as n ot in the c o u n t ry d u r i ng t he m o n th w h en t he a l l e g ed i n c i d e nt o c c u r r e d. T he a c c u s ed s t a t ed t h at in t h at m o n th he w e nt to t he h o me of P. W.3 R a p o to R a l i f e r o. P. W.6 s u p p o r ts t he a c c u s e d 's s t o ry t h at on 8th D e c e m b er 1989 t he a c c u s ed c a me to h is h o m e; and f u r t h er t h at t h ey went to t he p a s s i ng o ut c e r e m o ny of i n i t i a t es t o g e t h e r. S i g n i f i c a n t ly in h is e v i d e n ce in c h i ef t he a c c u s ed m a k es no m e n t i on of w h i te g u m - b o o t s. B ut P. W.3 w ho said t h at the a c c u s ed w as w e a r i ng w h i te g u m - b o o ts t h at d ay w as n ot c r o s s- e x a m i n ed on t h is p i e ce of e v i d e n ce w h i ch l e n ds s u p p o r t. to P . W . 1 's s t o ry as to t he i d e n t i ty of t he a c c u s ed by m a n n er of h is d r e ss on t h at d a y. I n d e ed u n d er c r o s s - e x a m i n a t i on t he a c c u s ed a d m i t t ed t h at he had w o rn w h i te g u m - b o o ts on t h at d a y. /To - 4 - To my m i nd t h e re is no d o u bt as. to t he a ct of i n t e r c o u r se s u f f e r ed by t he c o m p l a i n a n t. M e d i c al e v i d e n ce lends s u f f i c i e nt s u p p o rt to t h i s. T h e re d o es not seem to be any d o u bt as to the i d e n t i ty of t he a l l e g ed p e r p e t r a t or of t he o f f e n ce e v en t h o u gh he w as not k n o wn to t he c o m p l a i n a nt b e f o re t h en e x c ep f a c i a l l y. U n c e r t a i n ty as to t he n a me or lack of k n o w l e d ge t h e r e of is n o t h i ng as long as t h e re is c e r t a i n ty as to t he b o d y. P. W.2 has lent e n o u gh s u p p o rt to P. W.1 in t h is r e s p e c t. T h e re is a m a r k ed a b s e n ce of g a i n s a y i ng e v i d e n ce by t he a c c u s ed c o m p o u n d ed by h is d e l i b e r a te f a l s e h o od t h at he w as o ut of t he c o u n t ry w h en t he o f f e n ce a l l e g e d ly t o ok p l a c e. It a p p e a rs f r om t he e v i d e n ce t h at c r e d i b le v e r s i on c o r r o b o r a t i ng the c o m p l a i n a n t 's story in a r e s p e ct i m p l i c a t i ng t he a c c u s ed h as e m e r g ed i.e. t h at he w as p r e s e nt in t he a r ea w h e re the a l l e g ed o f f e n ce t o ok p l a c e , a nd w as w e a r i ng w h i te g u m - b o o t s. It w o u ld seem to me t h at i n h e r e nt d a n g er h as b e en a v o i d ed in t he s e n s e , f i r st t h at t he c o m p l a i n a nt has b e en c o r r o b o r a t ed in a r e s p e ct i m p l i c a t i ng t he a c c u s e d, n e xt t h at no g a i n s a y i ng e v i d e n ce h as b e en a d v a n c ed by t he a c c u s ed and f i n a l ly t h at he is f o u nd to h a ve b e en l y i n g. N e e d l e ss to say t h e re is no need to look for c o r r o b o r a t i on of t he lack of c o n s e nt b e c a u se s t a t u t o r i ly t he c o m p l a i n a nt is i n c a p a b le of giving consent to sexual i n t e r c o u r s e. It is c l e ar to me t h at b e c a u se of t he e x i s t e n ce of a c c e p t a b le and r e l i a b le e v i d e n ce s h o w i ng t h at t he c o m p l a i n a nt is a c r e d i b le and t r u s t w o r t hy fitness t he learned m a g i s t r a t e 's v e r d i ct c a n n ot be f a u l t e d. T h at v e r d i ct is a c c o r d i n g ly c o n f i r m e d. /With - 5 - With r e g a rd to s e n t e n ce t h is C o u rt t a k es a v e ry g r im v i ew of p e r p e t r a t o rs of s e x u al o f f e n c es a g a i n st c h i l d r en of t e n d er y e a r s. R a pe as s u ch f i l ls t he r i g ht t h i n k i ng m e m b e rs of s o c i e ty with r e v u l s i on a n y w h e re in t he c i v i l i s ed w o r l d. T h at it c a r r i es d e a th p e n a l ty b e s p e a ks t he d i s a p p r o v al and a b h o r r e n ce w i th w h i ch L e s o t ho law v i e ws r a p e. W h en p e r p e t r a t ed a g a i n st y o u ng g i r ls it s e e ms o n ly l o g i c al t h at a s e n t e n ce t h at is coextensive to t he r e s e n t m e nt w i th w h i ch r a pe is v i e w ed in t h is c o u n t ry s h o u ld be i m p o s e d. N e e d l e ss to say t h is t y pe of o f f e n ce t r a u m a t i s es t he v i c t im f or l i f e. T he u se of t he s t i ck to c o m p el s u b m i s s i o n , in my v i e w, a g g r a v a t es t he o f f e n c e. A c c o r d i n g ly t h e r e f o re t he a c c u s ed is s e n t e n c ed to n i ne ( 9) y e a r s' i m p r i s o n m e n t. J U D GE 8th A p r i l, 1991 For C r o wn : K i ss M o r u t h a ne F or D e f e n c e: Mr. F o sa