17 years for raping woman (61)

VILHO Katangolo Mupenda (30) has been sentenced to 17 years in jail after Regional Magistrate Paulus Noa found him guilty of raping a 61-year-old woman at Osheendje village on March 3 last year The court heard that Mupenda had gone to the elderly woman’s house during the night while she was asleep in her hut.

When she asked him what he was looking for, Mupenda told her that he wanted tobacco. He then grabbed her and said that he would not go without having sexual intercourse with her.He then clutched her around the neck, threw her on her back and had sexual intercourse with her.Afterwards, the woman told the court, Mupenda refused to let her go outside to drink water.She said she was in a state of extreme shock until Mupenda fell asleep and started snoring.She then had a chance to sneak out of the hut.She ran up to her neighbour’s house, reported the incident and spent the rest of the night there.Mupenda agreed that he had had sexual intercourse with her, but claimed he had done so with the consent of the old woman.He contended that it was during the day and not at night.He claimed the old woman had called him to her house to get berries [eembe].The court rejected Mupenda’s evidence.They found the complainant honest, truthful and said her evidence had been corroborated by her neighbour.”It is the duty of this court, under the circumstances, to punish you and other convicted offenders to ensure that the community does not take the law into its own hands and that the victim must also see that the court is able to protect her interests and the crime committed against her does not pass unnoticed,” Magistrate Noa told Mupenda before sentencing him.He then grabbed her and said that he would not go without having sexual intercourse with her.He then clutched her around the neck, threw her on her back and had sexual intercourse with her.Afterwards, the woman told the court, Mupenda refused to let her go outside to drink water.She said she was in a state of extreme shock until Mupenda fell asleep and started snoring.She then had a chance to sneak out of the hut.She ran up to her neighbour’s house, reported the incident and spent the rest of the night there.Mupenda agreed that he had had sexual intercourse with her, but claimed he had done so with the consent of the old woman.He contended that it was during the day and not at night.He claimed the old woman had called him to her house to get berries [eembe].The court rejected Mupenda’s evidence.They found the complainant honest, truthful and said her evidence had been corroborated by her neighbour.”It is the duty of this court, under the circumstances, to punish you and other convicted offenders to ensure that the community does not take the law into its own hands and that the victim must also see that the court is able to protect her interests and the crime committed against her does not pass unnoticed,” Magistrate Noa told Mupenda before sentencing him.