R v Qacha (Review Case 26 of 2011) [2011] LSHC 115 (28 July 2011)

IN THE HIGH COUR T OF LE S OTHO In t h e m a t t er b et ween : R E X Vs MOTLALE P ULA QACHA Review Ca s e No. 2 6 / 2 0 1 1 Review Or d er No. 6 / 2 0 1 1 CR 6 6 8 / 2 0 1 0 Ler ib e Dis t r ict OR DE R ON R E VIE W Th is is a m a tter on a u tom a tic review fr om th e Ler ib e d is tr ict. Th e a ccu s ed , a n a d u lt m a le a ged 2 3 yea rs wa s fou n d gu ilty of con tr a ven in g s ection 3 (2 ) of Act No.3 of 2 0 0 3 rea d with s ection 3 (1 ) of th e s a m e a ct b ein g th e Sexu a l Offen ces Act. Th e a ccu s ed wa s u n rep res en ted in th e ca s e a n d h e p lea d ed gu ilty of com m ittin g a n u n la wfu l s exu a l a ct with th e com p la in a n t, Ma teb oh o Nts eli, a fem a le a ged 3 5 yea r s . After en ter in g a p lea of gu ilty a n d it b ein g a ccep ted b y th e p r os ecu tor , a n ou tlin e of th e evid en ce wa s given b y th e p r os ecu tor . Th er ea fter th e a ccu s ed s a id h e d id n ot a cce p t th a t h e s exu a lly m oles ted th e com p la in a n t, b u t s a id h e on ly b ea t h er . Th e Cou r t th en en tered a p lea of n ot gu ilty a n d th e cr own lea d th e evid en ce of th e com p la in a n t. Com p la in a n t tes tified th a t s h e wa s a m a r r ied wom a n with fou r ch ild ren a n d th a t h e k n e w th e a ccu s ed wh o lived in a n oth er villa ge a b ou t 1 0 k ilom eters a wa y fr om h er villa ge. On th e n igh t in qu es tion s h e tes tified th a t s h e wa s a s leep with h er ch ild ren a s u s u a l wh en s h e h ea r d a s ou n d in th e h ou s e. S h e wok e u p a n d fou n d m a tch es to ligh t h er la m p . S h e th en n oticed a ccu s ed s ta n d in g in th e r oom . Sh e a s k ed h im wh a t h e wa n ted a n d h ow h e h a d got in to th e h ou s e. His rep ly wa s “d on ’t you s ee I wa n t to s leep with you .” He th en h it h er with th e wh ip h e h a d in h is h a n d a n d s u ffoca ted h er a n d d em a n d ed th a t s h e d oes a s h e told h er . Th e a ccu s ed th en p u lled ou t h er tr a ck s u it a n d p a n ty with on e h a n d a s h e h eld h er with th e oth er a n d h a d s ex with h er . Th e ch ild ren were cr yin g a s th ey s a w th is h a p p en in g a n d a ccu s ed got u p a n d s a id h e wa n ted to h a ve m ore s exu a l in ter cou r s e with h er . S h e th en a s k ed th a t th ey go ou t. Th ey d id s o, b u t u p on rea lizin g th a t h e h a d left h is wh ip , a ccu s ed wen t b a ck to collect it, th ereu p on th e com p la in a n t fled a n d a ler ted h er n eigh b ou r s ; ’Ma teb oh o Qa ch a a n d Teb oh o Ph a ts oa n e wh o b ot h p r oceed ed to th e com p la in a n t’s p la ce b u t fou n d a ccu s ed n o lon ger th ere. Th ey s ea rch ed a r ou n d a n d look ed for h im . Th ey n oticed t h a t th e cu r ta in wa s tor n a n d a win d ow b r ok en . S h e exp la in ed to th e two n eigh b ou r s wh a t h a d h a p p en ed . La ter th e a ccu s ed a r r ived a ga in a n d wh en a s k ed a s to wh a t h a d h a p p en ed , h e s a id com p la in a n t h a d ta k en h is m on ey. Wh en th ey r a is ed a la r m a n d c a lled m ore n eigh b ou r s th e a ccu s ed fled . In th e m or n in g a rep or t wa s m a d e to th e ch ief a n d th e m a tter wa s rep orted to th e p olice . Th e a ccu s ed wa s a r res ted a n d ch a rged . In h is cr os s -exa m in a tion of th e com p la in a n t a ccu s ed tr ied to es ta b lis h th a t h e wen t to com p la in a n t to get h is m on ey, b u t com p la in a n t d en ied th a t. Th e s econ d a n d th ir d witn es s es were Teb oh o Ph a ts oa n e a n d ’Ma teb oh o Qa ch a . Th ey b oth con fir m ed th e s tor y of com p la in a n t. Th e a ccu s ed in h is cr os s -exa m in a tion of PW2 s u r p r is in gly p u t it to th e witn es s th a t h e h a d n ever b een th ere th a t n igh t, wh ich th e witn es s d en ied . He d id n ot cr os s -exa m in e PW3 a t a ll d es p ite h er evid en ce th a t s h e h a d b een th ere th a t n igh t ; a n d th a t a ccu s ed h a d b een th ere wh en th ey got a r ep or t of th e s exu a l a s s a u lt on com p la in a n t to wh ich a ccu s ed h a d rep lied th a t h e wa s owed m on ey b y com p la in a n t a n d th ey h a d a greed th ey wou ld h a ve s ex to s ettle th e d eb t. Accu s ed th en ga ve evid en ce, wh ich wa s to th e effect th a t h e h a d a greed with com p la in a n t a n d ga ve h er m on ey in th e a m ou n t of M1 5 0 0 .0 0 to b u y a n d s ell liqu or a s it wa s h er b u s in es s . Th ey wou ld th en s h a re th e p r ofit. Wh en h e in qu ired on th e p r ofit th e com p la in a n t p r od u ced M8 0 0 .0 0 a n d th en s a id th e b a la n ce wou ld b e p a id in k in d if th ey h a d a love rela tion s h ip . He s a id h e wa s n ot in teres ted in th a t a n d a n a rgu m en t s ta r ted , wh ich led to a figh t a n d h im b ea tin g th e com p la in a n t. He tes tified th a t it a ll h a p p ed a r ou n d 5 .0 0 p m a n d n ot 1 0 .0 0 p m a s com p la in a n t h a d tes tified . He wa s a s k ed in cr os s -exa m in a tion a s to wh y h e h a d n ot p u t h is ca s e to th e com p la in a n t a n d h is la m e excu s e wa s th a t h e th ou gh t h e wou ld b e given a ch a n ce to tell h er . Th e d efen ce of th e a ccu s ed wa s la ter to b e s h a ttered wh en h e ca lled h is witn es s , a n u n cle wh om h e s a id wou ld tes tify th a t h e wa s a t h om e a t a rou n d 1 0 .0 0 p m on th e n igh t in qu es tion . Th e u n cle wa s DW2 a n d h e ga ve h is evid en ce wh ich tota lly con tr a d icted th e a ccu s er ’s ver s ion . He wa s cr os s -exa m in ed a n d th e Ma gis tr a te recor d ed a s follows ; “ Q : How a re you rela ted to th e a ccu s ed ? A : He is a s on to m y b roth er . Q : I p u t it to you th a t you a re n ot a witn es s to th e a ccu s ed . A : Yes I a m n ot. Q : Th e a ccu s ed s a ys a t 1 0 .0 0 p m h e wa s s leep in g a t h om e. A : He is n ot tellin g th e tr u th . Q : No fu r th er qu es tion s ” Th e m ed ica l exa m in a tion revea led th a t th ere h a d b een p h ys ica l violen ce a n d th a t com p la in a n t wa s b ea ten . Th ere wa s p en etr a tion a n d p h ys ica l fin d in gs on th e h ea d a n d fa ce were th a t com p la in a n t h a d s wollen eyes , a lm os t clos ed a n d b r u is es on th e r igh t th igh . Th e Ma gis tr a te th en fou n d th e a ccu s ed gu ilty a s ch a rged a n d b y rea s on of th e p reva len ce of th e offen ce, th e a s s a u lt on com p la in a n t a n d s h a m efu l lies a ccu s ed told th e Cou r t, s en ten ced h im to twelve yea rs im p r is on m en t with ou t a n op tion of a fin e. I h a ve given fu ll con s id era tion of th e m a tter a n d fin d n o rea s on to in ter fere with th e fin d in g a n d s en ten ce of th e Ma gis tr a te. I th erefore, cer tify th a t th e p r oceed in gs a re in a ccor d a n ce with r ea l a n d s u b s ta n tia l ju s tice. _______________ L. A. MOLE TE ACTING J UDGE 2 8 J u ly, 2 0 1 1 CC: All Ch ief Ma gis tr a tes All Ma gis tr a tes Ma gis tr a te Ler ib e All Pu b lic Pr os ecu tor s O/ C Police Ler ib e O/ C Pr is on Ler ib e CID – Ler ib e Director of Pu b lic Pr os ecu tion s 6