A 17-year-old teenage boy believed to be the youngest recorded serial rapist in South Africa has been sentenced to an effective 30 years in prison.
According to the police statement the teenage rapist, who was only 15 years old at the time of the crimes, is now South Africa’s youngest rapist in history.
According to Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Sello, the boy was convicted for three rape charges which took place around 2020 in Katlehong.
Boys aged between eight and 10-years-old at the time were raped on different occasions by the teenager.
The Gauteng Regional Courting sitting in Palm Ridge handed the hefty sentence to the rapist on 30 March 2022.
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“The case was assigned to Sergeant Renny Matshavha, a detective based at Katlehong Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offence (FCS) unit,” said Sello.
Matshavha’s investigation resulted in a solid case brought against the teenager.
The Acting Gauteng Provincial Commissioner of SAPS, Major-General Girly Mbele, has welcomed the harsh sentence and commended the investigating officer for leading the quality investigation.
“The sentence handed down to the 17-year-old convicted serial rapist is a bitter-sweet success. It cannot have been easy for Sergeant Matshavha to investigate a case whereby the perpetrator is a child, but she persevered in seeking justice for the three minor victims and their families.
“Our relentless efforts in addressing the proliferation of sexual offences will restore the community’s faith in the South African Police Service,” said Mbele.
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