Gang rapist who skipped bail before sentencing arrested 12 years later

A Free State man convicted of gang-raping a woman with two other people has been arrested after spending 12 years on the run.

Kenneth Lepota, 36, of Tseseng Village in QwaQwa, was arrested on Friday after police tracked him down when he returned to his home village after years of moving between provinces to avoid arrest.

Free State police spokesperson W/O Mmako Mophiring said Lepota deliberately stayed on the move to avoid being arrested.

“He was running away in other provinces. He was moving around the provinces. He didn’t want to be found,” said Mophiring.

After years on the run, Lepota returned to his home village, allegedly assuming his case was forgotten, where members of the flying squad recognised him.

“Flying squad members know him. They know he was wanted. They saw him in the village where he lives and that’s how the information came about. They informed the investigating officer they had seen the person we had been looking for,” Mophiring said.

We hope this development will bring a measure of closure to the victim and her family

—  Lt-Gen Thabang Lesia, Free State police commissioner

Police immediately rushed to the area to arrest him.

“When they were approaching his house, he was trying to run away, but they managed to arrest him,” Mophiring said.

Lepota and two co-accused were convicted of rape in 2014 in the Tseseng magistrate’s court for attacking a 26-year-old woman who was walking home from a tavern in April 2011.

According to Mophiring, the victim and her friend were confronted shortly after midnight by three men who dragged her into nearby bushes and took turns raping her. She was able to identify all three attackers, leading to their arrests and eventual conviction.

Despite being found guilty, the three accused were released on bail pending sentencing, said Mophiring.

“One accused died and co-accused Morena Mokoena was sentenced to life imprisonment. Lepota failed to appear for sentencing and vanished,” said Mophiring.

Lepota is expected to appear before the Tseseng magistrate’s court on Tuesday for sentencing on the rape conviction.

Free State provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Thabang Lesia commended the community member and police officers whose information led to the arrest, saying the breakthrough showed offenders could not evade justice forever.

“We hope this development will bring a measure of closure to the victim and her family,” said Lesia.

Sowetan