Qwaqwa man gets eight years for breaking into elderly woman's home and attempting to rape her
Tankiso Mosia, 46, was sentenced in the Free State after a police investigation and prosecution that the SAPS says shows its commitment to protecting elderly people.
A 46-year-old man has been sentenced to eight years’ direct imprisonment for housebreaking and the attempted rape of a 69-year-old woman in Qwaqwa, the South African Police Service said in a statement.
The Phuthaditjhaba Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, working with the National Prosecuting Authority, secured the conviction and sentencing of Tankiso Mosia, according to the police statement.
The attack happened on 11 February 2024 at about 23:30. The woman was at her home in Kgabisi Village when she heard footsteps outside her yard. She stayed inside. The man walked around the house and then went to the side of the dining room, where a window had been secured with corrugated iron. She heard the window being broken and called her neighbour.
The neighbour arrived but the door was locked. When the woman opened it, they found the man had already got inside. He strangled her and she fought back, then he hid near the bed. When the neighbour confronted him, he said that if they needed him they knew where he lived, according to the statement.
Police were called and he was arrested. The case was investigated by Detective Warrant Officer MD Mbule of the Phuthaditjhaba Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit.
The SAPS welcomed the sentence and said it remains committed to protecting vulnerable members of society, particularly elderly persons, and ensuring that perpetrators of such offences are brought to justice.
This report is based on the SAPS media statement. The Enquirer has not independently verified the details of the investigation or the court record. Source: South African Police Service, Man sentenced to eight years direct imprisonment for attempted rape and housebreaking.
