Life in Jail For Rapist Teacher
14 Apr 2009
A 51-year-old Limpopo teacher has been jailed for life for raping a pupil inside a classroom in Makhado in November 2007.
Khangale Khorommbi was found guilty of raping a 12-year-old at Maebane Primary School. Police said Khorommbi ordered the victim to go into a Grade 7 classroom. He followed her and tore off her underwear before raping her.
Khorommbi was found guilty by the Limpopo high court in Thohoyandou last week. He was also positively linked to DNA samples taken from the girl. Khorommbi confessed to the rape and pleaded guilty.
During sentencing, acting Judge MM Snyman told Khorommbi that he was a danger to the pupils and that he had abused his position of authority.
He also said life would be difficult for the victim if Khorommbi was not placed in a place where she did not see him or come into contact with him.
The judge noted that Khorommbi had previously been redeployed to different schools after he was suspected of having committed similar offences and of abusing pupils.
The judge said that Khorommbi betrayed the trust between him and the pupils. He said life was a suitable sentence because "justice demands that young children need to be protected".
