Sello Morake
MASERU — A woman who claims to have been repeatedly raped by her neighbour told the Maseru Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday that she was so terrified that she ran away from police officers who had come to rescue her.
The 24-year-old woman from Ha-Thetsane in southeast Maseru told the court that she ran away together with the alleged rapist who was also assaulting her and slept over at his house.
She told Magistrate ’Makampong Mokhoro that she was so afraid of the alleged rapist, Samuel Molupe, that when the police came to rescue her at the time he was battering her she ran away together with him to his home where she slept over.
“I was afraid of him as I was doing everything under coercion,” she said.
“I was afraid of him even when the police were nearby – that is why I ran with him to his home to sleep over.”
The woman claims that Molupe raped her in November 2008 and January last year.
She said Molupe arrived at her home in the morning on January 29 last year and forced her to go to his shack where he allegedly raped her for the whole day.
She said Molupe threatened to kill her if she reported the matter.
The woman told the court that she could not run away because she was with her four-year-old daughter.
“I did not run away because I was with my four-year-old girl child,” she said.
“I went with her to his shack but he expelled my child and insulted her.
“He locked the door and only released me at around 1800hrs in the evening.”
She said after her ordeal with Molupe she wrapped herself with a shawl and carried her daughter in a blanket pretending to go to a nearby place so that Molupe could not suspect that she was going to report him.
The woman said she went to Khubetsoana to tell her sister before going to Mabote Police Station where she was advised to report the matter at Thetsane Police Station.
Upon arrival at her home from the police Molupe allegedly came and assaulted her.
That was when the police came to rescue her.
She however ran away with Molupe to his home where she slept over.
The complainant said Molupe had placed a knife on her neck and forced her to run away with him.
Molupe’s lawyer Tsotang Monyako however told the court that his client would say “he had not carried a knife on that day you ran away from the police”.
“You were lovers from September 2008 and you fell pregnant with his child,” Monyako said as he cross-examined her.
“The cellphone that he borrowed you has your nude pictures in different places such as the house and his shack.
“On the other video you are talking to him. You even sent him smses.”
Monyako said the woman had been persuaded by her sister to lay false charges against Molupe.
Trial continues.