Eric Kunene (34), of Wattville, was recently sentenced to life imprisonment by the Benoni Regional Court for raping a 20-year-old mentally challenged woman.
According to SAPS Ekurhuleni district communication officer, Captain Nelda Sekgobela, the incident occurred in April last year.
The victim was with her grandmother when Kunene, who was a tenant on their property, called her.
When the grandmother realised that her granddaughter had not returned, she went to Kunene’s room and found it locked.
“She enquired from other tenants about the whereabouts of her granddaughter and was told that she was with Kunene. The grandmother fetched a spare key, opened the door and found her granddaughter and Kunene both naked on the bed,” said Sekgobela.
The grandmother took the victim to a nearby clinic for a medical examination and proceeded to the Actonville SAPS to open a case.
The matter was assigned to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS), which conducted a thorough investigation.
Kunene was subsequently arrested, found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Ekurhuleni district commissioner, Major General Anna Sithole, welcomed the conviction, saying it sends a strong message to those who take advantage of vulnerable individuals.
