Kempton Park parents receive life and 25-year sentences for unspeakable acts against their children

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Two parents from Kempton Park have been sentenced to a life sentence and 25 years of imprisonment, respectively, for committing sexual crimes against their three biological children.

The High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Local Division, Johannesburg handed down an effective term of life imprisonment to a 43-year-old man from Kempton Park and an effective term of 25 years imprisonment for his 33-year-old wife.

Sexual abuse from 2017 to 2022

According to NPA regional spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane, the parents started sexually abusing their children between 2017 and 2020, when they were under 10 years old.

Mjonondwane said the father would rape a child who was blindfolded while the other children were in another room. Both parents would also penetrate the children by inserting fingers and toys in their private parts.

“They sometimes ordered the complainants to have sexual activity with each other. The complainants were forced to watch the two accused perform sexual acts with one another and watch porn videos on television,” she said.

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“The accused threatened to kill the complainants should they ever tell anyone about their wrongdoing.”

It was revealed during the trial that at some stage, one of the children lived with their paternal grandparents in Nigel, and the father would visit them and his parents.

On one of these visits, the father raped the child and slept in their bed.

“Her grandmother once witnessed this abuse and confronted the accused, who responded that it was a habit that he could not stop,” Mjonondwane said.

Abuse revealed after doctor examination

When the two other children moved in with their other grandmother in the Western Cape and started acting sexually towards one another, the grandmother took them to the doctor for an examination, which is when the abuse was revealed.

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The children were then fostered by the parents’ cousin and wife, but the children were found playing with each other’s private parts.

“When confronted, the complainants replied that they learned it from their parents. A few months later, the complainants fully disclosed to their family what both their parents did to them,” Mjonondwane said.

“The family members then informed a social worker about the involvement of both parents, and the matter was further investigated by the police.”

The parents were subsequently arrested on 8 February 2022.

Parents pleaded not guilty to all charges

In court, they pleaded not guilty to all the charges of rape, conspiracy to commit a sexual offence, aiding and abetting another person to commit a sexual offence, compelled rape, assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, sexual grooming of children, compelling or causing children to witness sexual offences, exposure or display of or causing exposure of children to pornography, and sexual assault.

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The parents also accused their cousin and his wife of brainwashing their children and forcing them to fabricate the charges, alleging that they wanted to adopt the children.

“In arguing for a harsh sentence, Senior State Advocate Rolene Barnard argued that the court needed to send a strong message that will guarantee that justice is served for the young and vulnerable. She further argued that the children’s first consensual intimate experience was robbed from them and that the accused exploited the relationship bond between parents and children,” said the NPA.

Parents convicted

However, the parents were convicted of 17 counts of rape, four counts of conspiracy to commit a sexual offence, four counts of aiding and abetting another person to commit a sexual offence, three counts of compelled rape, two counts of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, four counts of sexual grooming of children, four counts of compelling or causing children to witness sexual offences, two counts of exposure or display of or causing exposure of children pornography, and four counts of sexual assault.

The NPA has welcomed the sentence and praised Barnard and Warrant Officer Grobler, the investigating officer, for making sure the parents face the full force of the law.