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Former security guard admits to sexually assaulting 7-year-old

Date: 14 October 2017 By: Isabel Venter

A former security guard who admitted that he had sexually assaulted a seven-year-old primary school girl received a direct-imprisonment sentence this week.

The 39-year-old Borbley Madedemalo Machaka was caught in the act of sexually assaulting a Grade 2 pupil of Soutpansberg Primary School on 20 February this year. He appeared in the Louis Trichardt Regional Court on Monday.

At the time, the incident sparked outrage among parents of the school as well as the Louis Trichardt community.

The girl, who cannot be identified because she is a minor, was dropped off at the school very early that morning, together with her younger sister. This was way before the other children arrived there. She later told a state social worker that Machaka had lured her and her sister to one of the school’s bathrooms. The social worker compiled a victim-impact report that was read into the court record.

As part of her report, the social worker also interviewed a colleague of Machaka's. He walked in at the exact moment when Machaka was busy rubbing his private parts against the girl’s naked thighs. The co-worker immediately confronted Machaka, who pulled up his pants. He then grabbed a nearby iron rod, which he tried to swing at his co-worker, who managed to run away quickly and call for help.

Machaka was arrested soon afterwards and was later denied bail in the Louis Trichardt District Court.

Following his bail application, Machaka’s case was transferred to the Louis Trichardt Regional Court, where he pleaded guilty on Monday. He admitted that what he had done was wrong and pleaded with the court to be lenient in sentencing him.

Magistrate PV Mudau, however, said in his judgment that although Machaka had showed remorse over his deeds, that did not excuse the fact that he had abused the fiduciary responsibilities as a security guard of a primary school. “He was tasked to protect the children of the school,” said Mudau.

The fact that the little girl still receives trauma counselling, months after the incident, was the reason why a direct imprisonment sentence was deemed suitable. Magistrate Mudau said the court had a duty to protect the vulnerable groups of society, like children, and that this necessitated heavy punishment. He sentenced Machaka to six years direct imprisonment. Furthermore, he ordered that Machaka be declared unfit to possess a firearm and that his name be recorded in the national register for sex offenders.

 
 
 

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Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

 
 

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