KZN man given life term for raping child

The Madadeni Regional Court in Newcastle, KZN, has sentenced a 30-year-old man to life in prison for the rape of his girlfriend’s child.

The incident happened in April 2022, when the child was 10.

He raped her on two occasions when her mother was away from the house running errands. He also threatened to kill both her and her mother if she told on him, and used a knife to enhance his threats.

The child did not report the incidents, but the mother noticed that the child was behaving out of character and wetting the bed.

She asked the child if anyone was touching her private parts and after some coaxing, she revealed what her stepfather was doing. The mother reported the incident to the police and he was arrested.

The child was taken to the Madadeni Thuthuzela Care Centre, where she received medical and psycho-social assistance.

National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara says that in court, regional court prosecutor Zwelisha Petros Mhlophe led the evidence of the child and her mother. “Mhlophe also handed in a victim impact statement compiled by the child’s mother and facilitated by court preparation officer Masande Mdiya.”

In her statement, the woman said the incident completely changed the child’s behaviour. She said she refuses to interact with other children and is doing poorly at school. The woman also said that the child is now afraid to go out and prefers to stay at home.

“The man was sentenced to life imprisonment and the court declared him unfit to possess a firearm. The court further ordered that his name be added to the National Register for Sex Offenders, and the court found him unsuitable to work with children,” adds Ramkisson-Kara.

The NPA welcomed the successful prosecution and commended the work done by both the prosecution and the investigation team.

“Rape is one of the most atrocious crimes that South Africa is plagued with and we hope that sentences of this nature will deter would-be offenders,” she says.