BARKLY WEST – The Barkly West Regional Court in the Northern Cape has sentenced former South African Police Service (SAPS) member Anthony Sekutinyane to a minimum of 15 years direct imprisonment for raping a woman in a holding cell. In addition, the court ordered that his name be placed in the National Register for Sex Offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
Sekutinyane held the rank of warrant officer. The sentence was handed down on Tuesday 11 November, for raping the victim, then 23-years old on 8 August 2022, while she was in a holding cell at the Barkly West police station.
Mojalefa Senokoatsane, spokesperson for the National Prosecution Authority (NPA), said that compelling evidence, including testimony by the victim presented in court, culminated in Sekutinyane’s conviction and sentencing.
“The victim preserved her clothing, containing DNA evidence, which confirmed the accused’s involvement. She reported the crime, leading to Sekutinyane’s arrest and dismissal from SAPS. During the trial, the accused claimed the act was consensual, alleging that he had merely “joked” about relieving stress through sexual intercourse. The court rejected this defence,” said Senokoatsane.
He said the court accepted the case presented by state prosecutor Oppelt Henderson, who argued that Sekutinyane had grossly abused his authority and violated his oath to serve and protect.
“In aggravation of sentence, the prosecutor emphasised that the accused’s conduct had severely undermined public trust in the police and inflicted lasting emotional trauma on the victim. The court concurred, noting that law enforcement officers bear a heightened responsibility to uphold the law, not exploit their positions for personal gratification,” said Senokoatsane.
The victim was detained at the police station following her arrest for violating a protection order her mother had obtained against her. The police arrested the victim after being called to intervene in a domestic dispute involving her and her mother.
Senokoatsane said that on the night in question, the accused Sekutinyane was the shift commander on duty. “The accused went to the holding cells and deceitfully informed the victim that he had paid R500 bail for her release. He demanded sexual favours in exchange. When the victim requested to call her sister to repay the supposed bail amount, the accused became aggressive and proceeded to rape her inside the holding cell,” said Senokoatsane.
The NPA has welcomed this sentence, which reinforces the principle that no one is above the law.
“The NPA hopes this conviction will restore public confidence in the justice system and provide a measure of closure to the victim and her family. This sentence sends a strong message that those entrusted with public responsibility will face the full force of the law when they abuse their authority and violate the rights of others,” he said.
