Barberton man sentenced to 10 years for raping ex-girlfriend
The accused was arrested in 2018, after which he was denied bail. The court recently found him guilty.
The Nelspruit Sexual Offences Court convicted and sentenced a 28-year-old man from Barberton to 10 years’ direct imprisonment for the rape of his ex-girlfriend in 2018.
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According to a press release distributed by the National Prosecuting Authority in Mpumalanga on March 6, the victim and the accused have children and were residing together before the incident. They separated in April 2017. On August 23, 2018, the victim went to fetch the children from the accused’s parental home. Along the way, she met the accused, who became aggressive towards her.
He forced her to go to his place of residence to talk, and when they arrived, he locked her in the bedroom and raped her. He then forced her to spend the entire night with him. She reported the matter to her family and the police were alerted. The accused was arrested in 2018, and was denied bail.
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In court he claimed consent, but state prosecutor Leana Jones led evidence of the complainant, who told the court how the ordeal had unfolded. She said she was afraid of the accused and that he was aggressive. Her evidence was supported by the first responder’s, who testified from what she had observed from the victim when she reported the matter.
Magistrate Vanessa Joubert took into consideration the time the accused had spent in custody awaiting trial, and sentenced him to 10 years’ direct imprisonment.
