Top cop arrested for defilement

Othusitse Marape (61), an Assistant Superintendent in the Botswana Police Service based at Kasane Police Station, who was in 2008 convicted and sentenced to 10 years for defiling a girl under 16 years, has been arrested yet again for defiling a 15-year-old girl in Kasane.

No. 20 Police District Officer Commanding, Senior Superintendent, Meshack Pulenyane, confirmed that Marape was arrested on Friday and has since been arraigned for defilement before the Kasane Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

He stated that Marape currently on sick leave was arraigned in his absence as he could not appear before the court. “State Chief prosecutor, Moffat Dick, had pleaded with the court for Marape to be kept under house arrest pending his next appearance in court because he was on sick leave.

The matter has been adjourned to December 3, 2024, and the court has instructed Marape not to communicate with the victim nor her family, not to meet the victim for whatever reason and to keep a distance of 100m from the victim,” Pulenyane said. Asked about the previous convictions, Pulenyane said back in 2009 Marape had appealed the defilement conviction and sentence, and the matter was later set aside by the Court of Appeal.

Marape was later reinstated back to work. Marape then aged 45 was convicted for having sexual intercourse with a teenage girl who was then under the age of 16 years. The crime had occurred sometime in March 2006 at Gumare.

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