A 26-year-old man from the Free State has been sentenced to five years in prison for committing a s3xual offence in the presence of his cousin’s 12-year-old daughter.
Police spokesperson Lt-Col Thabo Covane said the incident occurred on December 4, 2023, in Rocklands, when the man, identified as Kamogelo Leeuw, was visiting his cousin.
“The complainant reportedly walked into a room and found 26-year-old Kamogelo Leeuw performing indecent s3xual acts in the presence of her daughter,” Covane said. The woman immediately alerted the police.
The case was assigned to Sgt Gloria Tsubane of the Family Violence, Child Protection and S3xual Offences Unit in Mangaung Metro, who was tasked with compiling evidence for prosecution. Covane noted that the case was particularly challenging due to the lack of physical evidence, a common issue in s3xual offence matters.
“It was difficult to prove,” he explained. Despite the complexity, specialist prosecutor Advocate Herholdt secured a conviction at the Bloemfontein s3xual offences court. Magistrate Zweni found Leeuw guilty of s3xual assault and sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment.
In addition to the prison term, the court ordered that Leeuw’s name be entered into the s3x offenders register and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
Police commended the work of the Family Violence, Child Protection and S3xual Offences Unit, stressing that such cases, though intricate, remain a priority in the fight against crimes targeting women and children.
