THABA TSEKA — A 27-year-old from Thaba-Tseka has avoided being jailed for rape after he agreed compensate his victim with two cattle. Phoka Lepheng Ts’iu of Lesobeng ha Lephoi was arrested in 2010 for allegedly raping a woman from the same area. He had been out on a M500 bail since them. His case was however withdrawn this week after he agreed to compensate the
victim.
Both the accused and the victim agreed to settle the matter out of court, and the victim told the court that she was satisfied with the compensation. Evidence led in court after the incident which took place in January 2010 had shown that Tšiu had force sexual intercourse with the victim. He then appeared before court and was granted bail in February the same year. Sergent Rakhosi Tšalong from the Thaba Tseka Child and Gender Protection Unit (CGPU) said the victim is allowed to withdraw charges for compensation, as long as she is not a minor.
He said where a victim is a minor, the case is between the accused and the crown so there cannot be any withdrawal. This kind of settlement is very common in the rural district. Estimates show that two in every six cases are solved this way.
— Lena
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