Eden Park rapist Geu Elton Estevo has been convicted and sentenced to 22 years of direct imprisonment for raping a mentally challenged 10-year-old girl at Katlehong on August 23, 2022.
Esttevo’s sentencing was handed down at Palm Ridge Regional Court.
He will serve his sentence at Boksburg Correctional Service, while he has also been referred to the National Register for Sex Offenders and declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Renney Mashavha from Family Violence Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit said this is a breakthrough because usually, cases go on for at least two to three years before the judgement is made.
She said the case was straightforward because the accused was caught red-handed by the community while he was raping the child. He was brutally assaulted by the mob and brought to the Eden Park Police Station where a case was registered and he was detained.
According to the media liaison officer Constable Sivenkosi Mtwa, the incident occurred at approximately 09:00 when the mother of the victim sent her to borrow a phone charger at the neighbour’s house.
While the child was going to the neighbour’s house the suspect lured her to an illegal dumping site at an open veld between Thinasonke informal settlement and Ext Nine Palm Ridge with an amount of R4.
“Fortunately, a neighbour who was watering his garden, noticed the strange man walking with an innocent young girl towards an open veld. He notified other community members who followed them when they caught the suspect red-handed raping the child,” said Mtwa.
The case docket was transferred to Katlehong SAPS and allocated to Mashavha.
Mashavha said she went to see the suspect the following day at OR Tambo Hospital, where he confessed to the crime.
He admitted that what he did was wrong and apologised.
“I thought he was going to die because he suffered serious injuries. He spent three weeks at the hospital. His legs and private parts were swollen and his right hand was no longer functioning.
“He first appeared in the Palm Ridge Court on September 22, last year. During his third appearance on November 2 he pleaded guilty,” said Mashavha.
Mashavha said she did not encounter any challenges while investigating the case because the accused showed remorse and he confessed to the crime.
The head of FCS, Lieutenant Colonel Israel Mdluli, said the conviction sends the right message that such acts of sexual violence will be dealt with by the full might of the law.
He said rape is part of the GBV cases and it is a huge challenge, especially against children in the Katlehong policing area.
Mdluli said they run campaigns in the community to encourage incidents of rape and GBV to be reported immediately.
“The only thing we can do on our side is to ensure that we conduct the investigation thoroughly.”
