Brits child rapist gets two life terms

A 45-year-old Brits man who was trusted as a father figure by his neighbours, but then raped and sexually molested three young girls, was yesterday sentenced in the High Court in Pretoria to two life terms.

Acting Judge David Makgoba sentenced Hendrick Martins for raping two 10-year-old girls at his home in Vuca section near Brits in July 2017.

Martins was also sentenced to a further 15 years’ imprisonment for sexually violating a nine-year-old girl twice and showing her an adult movie containing explicit sex scenes.

One of the young girls was raped while sharing a bed with Martins. He molested another girl when she went to him for help with a school project.

According to the charge sheet, he used a penis made of clay to sexually groom one of the children.

Martins’ neighbours had regularly entrusted their children to his care and the youngsters had also sometimes spent the night at his house.

Martins fathered five children with three women, but was single and only supported his 19-year-old son who was living with him at the time.

His advocate contended his upbringing without the care of a father might have led him to commit the crimes, his clean criminal record and that he suffered from high blood pressure for which he was not being treated in prison should be counted as mitigating factors.

The prosecution argued that he had shown no remorse, did not accept any responsibility for the pain he had caused his young victims and that the aggravating factors far outweighed Martins’ personal circumstances.

Makgoba said children were vulnerable to abuse and were generally abused by those who thought they would get away with it. All too often, did get away with it.

Courts should protect children at all costs, he added.

He cited as an aggravating factor that the children had trusted Martins and he had abused that trust.

– ilsedl@citizen.co.za

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