'No one runs away from me'

2008-09-03 20:35

Cape Town - A victim of alleged serial rapist Tsediso Letsoenya wanted to throw herself under a moving bus after she was raped, the Cape High Court heard on Wednesday.

Letsoenya, in his mid-30s, is on trial before Judge Abe Motala and assessors on 104 charges including 39 of rape and 33 of indecent assault.

The victim said she and her two female cousins had been to a dumping site in Khayelitsha, in June 2004 in search of discarded clothing.

On their way back, through a cemetery, they had encountered Letsoenya who allegedly pointed a gun at them and forced them to undress.

After they had undressed, they were led at gunpoint deeper into the cemetery, where Letsoenya raped her, she said. When he had finished with her he led the trio back to where they had left their clothing and allowed them to dress. She said Letsoenya then disappeared into the darkness, but did not rape her two cousins.

Asked by Prosecutor Heather Meyer how the incident had affected her, she said she had wanted to throw herself under a moving bus. However, she had received counselling and now felt "much better", she said.

She said one of her two cousins had tried to run away while they were undressing, but Letsoenya had warned her: "No one runs away from me".

Questioned by defence counsel, Nehemiah Ballem, she denied she had told the police that she would not be able to identify the rapist.

She added: "I told the police that I would be able to identify him if I saw him again."

She said she later pointed Letsoenya out at an identification parade.

The case continues.

- SAPA