Kidnapping and assault accused gets seven years imprisonment
POTCHEFSTROOM - The Itsoseng Regional Court sentenced a 22-year-old Letlamoreng Kaudi to seven years imprisonment for kidnapping and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.
The sentence stems from an incident in which a 10-year-old boy failed to come
back from school on Friday, 25 August 2017. He was ultimately reported missing to the police on Sunday, 27 August 2017. It came out during investigations that the accused contacted the boy's family and demanded a ransom. After an intensive probe, the accused was nabbed for kidnapping and assault. The accused's apprehension was then followed by a search for the boy.
Following the suspect's interview, police were led to an abandoned drainage system manhole just outside Verdwaal village near Itsoseng where the boy was found. The boy was then taken for a medical check-up that confirmed that he was healthy and thereafter handed back to his family.
Preliminary investigation revealed at that time that
the boy was kept at two other separate places, including inside another drainage system manhole at a local sports ground.
Since his arrest, the accused was denied bail and has been in custody until his trial and subsequent sentencing on Thursday, 16 May 2019 to seven years imprisonment for kidnapping and assault.
The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane welcomed the sentence and said that the police will continue to prioritise cases in which women, children and other vulnerable groups are involved. She said further that the sentence will also serve as a warning to those who commit crime that they will be punished.
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