SANDF member gets 20 years for raping superior’s teen daughter

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has praised a rape victim’s bravery and her mother’s pursuit of justice after a South African National Defence Force (SANDF) member was sentenced to 20 years for rape.

The Port Nolloth Regional Court in the Northern Cape, has sentenced 35-year-old Peace Mashile, a SANDF member, after the court found him guilty of the rape of a 15-year-old.

The victim and her mother, a soldier and Mashile’s superior, lived at the Alexander Bay Centre Military Base, where the accused was posted as a guard at the gate of the base.

Victim called SANDF member Uncle Peace

Uncle Peace, as the victim called him, and the teenager would see each other almost daily when she went to and from school, as she frequently played around the army base.

However, the victim and her family’s trust were traumatically betrayed on 9 December 2019 when Mashile climbed through a hole in the window of the victim’s bedroom while she was sleeping.

NPA regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the victim woke up when she felt Mashile’s cold hands touching her, and when she opened her eyes, she saw him on top of her.

Victim raped in her bed with cousin sleeping next to her

The victim tried to scream, but the accused covered her mouth with his hand. When she tried to remove his hand, Mashile choked her into submission.

“The accused proceeded to rape the victim next to her cousin, who was sleeping next to her on the same bed,” Senokoatsane said.

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“After raping the victim, the accused told her to remain quiet and left the room through the window which he had used to gain entry.”

After the rape, the victim went to the toilet, where she saw blood on the toilet paper when she wiped herself. Upon her return to her room, the victim saw Mashile lingering outside her bedroom.

Senokoatsane said the victim ran to her mother’s room; she woke her mother up and told her what Uncle Peace did to her. She also described what he was wearing when he raped her.

The victim’s mother initially thought her daughter was having a nightmare after the cousin said she did not feel anything while she was sleeping next to the victim.

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The mother ended up letting the victim sleep next to her until morning. In the morning, the victim reaffirmed her claims that Uncle Peace had raped her.

The victim’s mother met Mashile on her way to work and asked him to accompany her to his room without explaining why.

 In his room, the mother asked the accused what he had been wearing the previous night. Mashile said he was wearing the same clothes. However, in the room, the mother found clothes that resembled those described by her daughter.

Mother defied pressure to handle the rape case internally in SANDF

She reported the matter, and the SANDF officials wanted to deal with the matter internally, but the victim’s mother insisted that the case be reported to the police.

Sergeant Shaun Brandt of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in Port Nolloth conducted a thorough investigation into the case. Mashile was unmistakably connected to the crime by DNA evidence found in the victim’s clothing and DNA obtained from the sanitary product the victim was wearing.

At the start of his trial, Mashile pleaded not guilty and tried to provide a fabricated defence, which was rejected by the court following a thorough and credible prosecution.

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The accused was also linked to the crime through forensic evidence, as DNA was obtained from the sanitary product the victim was wearing.

Basil Kock, the prosecutor for the Regional Court, argued that the accused, who held a position of trust, had betrayed the confidence of the victim’s family, his employer, and society at large, in addition to violating the victim’s dignity.

The social worker who created the victim impact report testified to the child’s severe developmental, psychological, physical and emotional trauma.

Developmental, psychological, physical and emotional trauma

“The report detailed that the child’s school performance declined, and she experienced anxiety, sleep disturbances, and fear. She no longer felt safe in her home and community,” Senokoatsane said.

“The trauma further affected the entire family, prompting the mother to resign from her post and relocate to Pretoria.”

Mashile was handed a 20-year direct jail sentence after the court determined that there were strong and convincing reasons to deviate from the minimum penalty.

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Port Nolloth Regional Court also ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm and unfit to work with or have access to children.

“The NPA commends the victim for her bravery, her mother for her unwavering pursuit of justice, and the prosecutorial and investigative teams for their outstanding work,” Senokoatsane said.

“The NPA reaffirms its commitment to the fight against gender-based violence and the protection of vulnerable groups, particularly children. All cases of sexual violence encroach on the rights to dignity and privacy of the victims as enshrined in our constitution; hence, the NPA aggressively prosecutes these cases.”