A man has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment after raping his neighbour's puppy in Soweto. He was found guilty of bestiality.
HE WAS CAUGHT WITH HIS PANTS DOWN
Late last year the perpetrator Mojalesa Mofokeng was caught by a tenant with his pants literally down while in a precarious position in the 11-month-old puppy's house. The community learnt about this cruel act and apprehended the man.
NSPCA brought criminal charges against Mojalesa as the dog was severely violated and need medical attention. Fortunately, Moana, the puppy, "made a full physical recovery under the watchful eye of the NSPCA, and she has been sterilized, vaccinated, microchipped, and dewormed,' confirmed the NSPCA.
After his arrest, Mojalesa was granted bail after his initial arrest, however, he violated the imposed bail conditions by failing to appear before the court which resulted in him being rearrested.
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ANIMAL CRUELTY IS THE SAME AS HUMAN
Even though in some communities animal cruelty is not taken as serious as that happening to humans, the magistrate in this case made it clear that is not supposed to be the case.
The magistrate stated in his judgement that a distinction should not be made between the rape of an animal and that of a human. The Courts, therefore, have a duty to protect the rights of animal victims and impose appropriate sentences to avoid the community from taking matters into their own hands.
The organisation says were it not for NSPCAs Veterinary Consultant Dr. Marock, and Inspector Shiven Bodasing from the NSPCAs Special Investigations Unit could've not been a victory as the original witness of the incident was absent.
"Bestiality is a serious concern in our country. It is a shameful crime that is swept under carpets to protect perpetrators- forgetting that bestiality usually progresses to the abuse of children and eventually other adult human beings at a later stage,' said Marcelle Meredith, NSPCA Executive Director.
PRECEDENCE HAS BEEN SET
Marcelle said the NSPCA winning this case is of extreme significance as it will set precedence to other case of such nature in the whole country.
"We hope that other bestiality cases being heard across the country will follow suit as a precedent has been set, and that animal rapists have been thoroughly cautioned of the consequences. Communities are encouraged to report bestiality. Together with the relentless pursuit of this movement, we can bring this evil to its knees,' she said.
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