A 29-year-old Omaheke resident who was convicted of kidnapping, rape and murder was sentenced to an effective 37 and a half years’ term of imprisonment in the Windhoek High Court yesterday.
Abel Mokalabathowas convicted by Judge Naomi Shivute of kidnapping Anna Geinamses (27) in Drimiopsis between 1 and 2 August 2020 and forcefully taking her to his residence, where he raped her again, murdered her and then disposed of her body in a sewage drain.
He stabbed her in the neck and then strangled her with a wire, which he tightened using pliers. He did this to prevent the victim from informing her mother that he had raped her.
Mokalabatho was convicted of one count of murder, three counts of rape, one count of kidnapping and one count of obstructing the course of justice. The judge sentenced him to 20 years on the murder count, 15 years each on the rape counts, but ordered two of the rape sentences to run concurrently with the sentence on the first rape count.
She further sentenced him to two years on the kidnapping count and six months on the attempting to defeat the course of justice count.
The deceased left behind two minor children.
Judge Shivute said that the deceased’s death brought grief and sorrow to the family. Her mother became sick, and her children became withdrawn. She further said that the accused did not show any remorse for his actions.
Although she said, the accused is a first offender who spent a considerable period in pre-trial incarceration, factors that weigh in his favour, he committed heinous crimes.
“He first raped the deceased in a toilet, kidnapped her to his house, raped her twice at his house and murdered her in cold blood, by tying her with a wire around her neck. And if that was not enough, he then disposed of her body in a sewage drain,” the judge stated.
She said the deceased was subjected to cruel and unimaginable horror by the accused. Her fundamental rights to life, liberty and privacy were seriously violated, the judge said and continued: The accused committed horrendous crimes which are prevalent in our jurisdiction.
She went on to say that as far as the interest of society is concerned, society views the offences of murder and rape in a serious light and therefore the sentence to be imposed should reflect the interest of society.
During submissions on the sentence to be imposed, the father of the deceased testified that he felt horrified that his daughter was “killed like a dog,” the judge remarked. She said what makes the case even more disturbing is that the accused admitted that he raped the deceased, but insisted that she left with an unknown man after the rape.
She added that she considered the cumulative effect that the three rape sentences will have on the total period of imprisonment to be imposed and said she will order some of the sentences to run concurrently. However, the judge stressed, a long term of imprisonment is unavoidable.