A 45-year-old serial rapist, Thapelo Malatji, who terrorised the Dobsonville community since 2011, was recently sentenced to double life imprisonment for a series of rape, robbery, and kidnapping crimes. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Gauteng, Malatji’s modus operandi involved robbing victims at gunpoint, taking them to secluded areas, and repeatedly raping them. He was finally apprehended in July 2020 and convicted in the Protea Regional Court, receiving a double life sentence for two counts of rape, and an additional 30 years each for aggravated robbery and kidnapping[1].
The Dobsonville area has faced several high-profile rape cases and acts of violence. In one instance, residents staged protests demanding arrests after a harrowing rape ordeal in which a grandmother died and her granddaughter survived[3]. Another notable case involved the murder and rape of a 61-year-old woman, where suspects were pursued and at least one was shot dead after a house robbery incident[4]. Police later confirmed the arrest of two suspects linked to the murder of the elderly woman and the rape of her 21-year-old granddaughter during the attack[6].
Moreover, the community has also mourned the violent murder and alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl during the national lockdown, highlighting an ongoing crisis of gender-based violence in the Soweto area[5].
References
- [1] Reign of terror comes to an end as Dobsonville serial rapist receives double life sentence | IOL News
- [3] Dobsonville residents demand arrests after rape ordeal in which gran died, granddaughter survived | News24
- [4] One of three suspects behind murder and rape of 61-year-old woman shot dead | Berea Mail
- [5] Murder during lockdown: Teen girl slain, allegedly raped | Daily Maverick
- [6] Two suspects arrested for Dobsonville murder, rape | Jacaranda FM
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