A 19-year-old south african teenager Phumzile Mabope’s, has been found guilty by a court of raping and murdering a 95-year-old woman Maria Vermaak, in Uitenhage, South africa.
Mabope was found guilty of 12 charges, including rape and murder by the port Elizabeth high court on Friday
According to the suspect’s account while making a plea deal with the state, he said that he only entered maria’s compound after scaling her fence with the intention of stealing pears from her house in feb last year when he discovered that the house was left open. He then entered the house and was going through her stuff when maria returned.
Recommended for you
He admitted to strangling her but only came back later to have sex with the corpse as he thought she was already dead.
However, Jude Dayalin Chetty, lawyer in defense of the deceased, disputed Mabope’s account, finding that the victim was clearly alive when she was assaulted by Mabope and saying that he does not believe the perpetrator’s claims.
“I am satisfied that the deceased was‚ to the knowledge of the accused‚ alive when he raped her and that his denial to the contrary can summarily be rejected,” Chetty said.
The case has been adjourned