NO GREATER LOVE
Old man, 80, dies defending daughter against abuse
Matsitama village residents were left reeling in shock after a man from Lephane ward seriously injured his girlfriend and killed her 80-year-old father on Wednesday last week.
Batshepang Oageng, 25, appeared before the Francistown Magistrates’ Court charged with two counts of murder and grievous bodily harm this week.
The court heard that the old man died in a fight trying to defend his daughter from Oageng’s brutal knife attack.
The couple cohabited at the girlfriend’s father’s yard and when their fight from the previous night continued the following day, with Oageng stabbing the young woman, Baemedi Otsogile (26), with a knife multiple times, her father, Pitso Sebogilwe, 80, could not ignore her screams any longer.
According to court documents, Sebogilwe confronted his daughter’s boyfriend but he turned the knife on him, stabbing the old man to death.
The incident was reported to the police, who rushed the unconscious old man to Nyangagbwe Referral Hospital in Francistown, and he was certified dead on arrival.
Tatitown Police Superintendent, Station Commander Boipuso Baatweng, confirmed the incident. “We received the report from the neighbours and the suspect was arrested the very same day in Matsitama,” said Baatweng, who went on to urge couples to always seek help from other stakeholders like church elders, parents, and police officers instead of resorting to fights as a means of resolving conflicts.
State Prosecutor, Baedzi Matshambani, secured the accused remand stating that the matter was still fresh pending investigations.
“Your honour, the Investigating Officer (IO) is not present today to give reasons as to why the accused should or should not be given bail as he is attending to the deceased’s autopsy,” said Matshambani.
Matshambani further revealed that not only was the IO attending to the autopsy, he was also helping the family with funeral arrangements hence his plea for the courts to remand the suspect for 14 days while waiting for the IO to return.
Oageng was sent back to jail to wait for his next court appearance on April 15th, 2022.