A rape victim feels let down by the Ficksburg Police Station in the Free State. Mponeng Mokhampanyane, who reported her rape case in 2020, has seen little progress and attention given to her case.
In 2020, Mponeng reported the incident to the police after she was raped while sleeping at a friend’s house and woke up to find the perpetrator on top of her. Since then, she has been frustrated by the lack of tangible progress on her case.
Mponeng suspects foul play regarding the handling of her case by Pinki Mohlaping, who is allegedly the investigating officer. She is concerned that there may be a cover-up or mishandling of evidence.
In 2021, while Mponeng was pregnant, Pinki Mohlaping allegedly visited her home to persuade her to drop the case, claiming it would negatively impact Mponeng’s emotional and psychological well-being. Mponeng refused to do so.
In January 2024, Mponeng unexpectedly encountered Pinki, who informed her that the DNA test results were back and positive. Pinki allegedly asked Mponeng to visit her office, but when Mponeng arrived, she found that Pinki was on sick leave.
In March 2024, Mponeng inquired about her case at the police station and was told it had been sent to the regional court. Free State World has seen the case number, confirming that Mponeng did indeed open a case, and DNA tests were conducted when she initially reported the crime.
What saddens Mponeng is that the perpetrator is still roaming free and allegedly telling people that Mponeng’s child is his.
She was not informed when the perpetrator was granted bail, causing her daily trauma as she sees him frequently. Communication regarding the case has been minimal.
On Wednesday, February 26, Mponeng had a meeting with the police, during which she was informed that the case was stalling due to delays in receiving lab reports. The police are reportedly awaiting chain results from the lab, which were supposedly sent last year by the investigating officer.
According to Mponeng, the Captain she met stated that the investigating officer was at fault for not updating her on the case.
“I was told they last requested chain evidence from the lab last year (2024) and were instructed by the regional court to provide that evidence. Pinki requested the lab chain last July,” Mponeng explained.
She added that the lab’s delays have caused further holdups. Mponeng was shocked to discover that her case had also been struck off the roll and was informed that the delay in sending DNA results to the regional court could be due to the investigating officer being overwhelmed with work or having personal reasons.
“After they received calls from the media and their commissioners, I was told that Pinki Mohlaping was instructed to check if the lab had sent the chain evidence. Still, there has been no response. A new request to the lab was promised, but it doesn’t seem promising as I was told it would be squeezed in alongside their other workload,” she lamented.
Mponeng escalated the matter to Free State Police Commissioner Baile Motswenyane, the media, and other police officers, which finally brought some attention to her case. She feels that her right to information has been violated, as she was not updated on the progress of her case.
The only time the investigating officer visited her home was in 2021 when she was pregnant, six months after she reported the crime, allegedly to convince her not to change the investigating officer.
Mponeng believes that her rights to information, transparency, fair investigation, justice without delay, autonomy, dignity, a fair trial, and quality before the law have been violated.
“The same investigating officer handling my case was sent to persuade me not to request a different officer when I wanted a change, claiming it would take longer to inform the new officer about the case,” she stated.
Police reply
In response to an inquiry from Free State World regarding the matter, Police Spokesperson Captain Loraine Earle acknowledged the concerns raised by Mponeng. She stated that the SAPS takes all cases of sexual violence seriously and is committed to ensuring justice is served.
The investigation into this matter has been ongoing, and several procedural steps have been taken in accordance with legal requirements. Regarding the reasons for the delay, Earle explained that the case was initially struck off the roll pending DNA results, surprising Mponeng, as she was unaware of this development.
She further noted that complications with the initial buccal sample required a retake, and the final DNA results were only received in 2023. Following this, the case was resubmitted to the regional court, which then requested chain-of-custody statements from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and they are currently awaiting a response.
“We understand the victim’s frustration and remain committed to handling this case with the sensitivity and urgency it deserves.” Earle Emphasised.
On “Allegations of Being Told to Drop the Case” Earle said “We take any allegations of misconduct very seriously. According to our records, the victim was consulted in December 2023, where she reaffirmed her interest in proceeding with the case, and her statement was officially recorded.”
Earle however did not give reason why the was no further consultation in 2024 or thereafter.
On ensuring justice for the victim, Earle stated that the case is being handled with due diligence and as soon as the required chain-of-custody statements are received from the FSL, the docket will be submitted back to the Regional Court for further legal proceedings.
Regarding the arrest of the perpetrator, Earle added that the suspect was arrested on 27 December 2020 and charged accordingly and that the case has since followed the necessary legal processes.
She further said while DNA evidence is a crucial component of the case, the decision to prosecute or issue a warrant of arrest for the perpetrator lies with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the court.
The public is urged to report any dissatisfaction with the service received from police officers at SAPS Service Complaints Centre on the Head Office toll free number (0800) 333-177 or the Free State Provincial Standby number 071 412 2391.
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Photo Credit: Supplied
