An Eastern Cape man who was linked through DNA analysis to raping two females in a separate incident in Graaff-Reinet has been sentenced to life behind bars.
The Graaff-Reinet Magistrates Court sentenced Siphosethu Simons, 26, to life imprisonment plus 15 years on three rape charges and robbery committed against two women.
The court took two counts of rape against a 13-year-old victim as one sentence and sentenced him to 10 years on the third count of rape and five years for robbery.
The court ordered the 15-year sentence to run concurrently with the life sentence.
Simons pleaded guilty to all charges after being linked to them by DNA evidence, but he refused to divulge the name of his accomplice in the commission of the crimes.
On the night of November 11, 2016, the 27-year-old victim was walking alone near the soccer stadium at Umasizakhe township in the district of Graaff-Reinet when she was approached by Simons, who was unknown to her.
"He requested a cigarette, but before she could respond, he instructed her to accompany him down an isolated hill," NPA regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said.
"When she refused, he grabbed her by her clothing and raped her using a condom that he later threw on the scene,” Tyali said.
Tyali further added that the victim went to report the rape to the police, who retrieved the used condom for comparative DNA analysis.
The teenage victim was walking to her boyfriend’s place in the Tyoksville area of Graaff-Reinet when she was accosted by Simons and a person unknown to the State on the night of December 12, 2020.
"The men took the victim to a mountain behind Umasizakhe township, where they took turns raping her before fleeing.
"The victim went to report it to her neighbour and later to the police, who collected DNA samples," Tyali said.
Tyali added that following Simons’ arrest on an unrelated matter, DNA swabs taken from him were positively linked to the two rapes, and due to the overwhelming forensic evidence against him, he pleaded guilty.
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