Man falls asleep after repeatedly raping elderly woman in KZN

A 21-year-old man was arrested after he repeatedly raped an 84-year-old woman and then fell asleep on her bed in Esibizane village, KwaZulu-Natal.

Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza, has commended the swift action by the police in arresting the man.

It is alleged the young man raped the elderly woman after he forcefully entered her home in Esibizane Village, Ward 08 in Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma Municipality in the Southern part of the province, while she was sleeping.

The department said the man took advantage of the woman after her daughter did not return home.

“The man allegedly overpowered the old woman and raped her several times. The woman only managed to escape when the attacker slept and she crawled [outside] towards her gate to get help.

“The neighbour was awoken by her dogs that were barking non-stop. [The neighbour] saw the old woman who told him that there was a man in her house.

“The neighbours went into the house and found the perpetrator sleeping naked with all his clothes on the floor with a can of alcohol,” said the department.

MEC Khoza condemned the incident.

“We have so many immoral people who take advantage of senior citizens. Elderly persons are living in fear as they are attacked and raped while in their homes. We find solace that this criminal was found sleeping at the crime scene,” she said.

Khoza called on the law to show no mercy to the man and he must serve a long time in jail after committing such a horrible crime.

MEC Khoza further criticised the action by the alleged perpetrator’s family to have the matter swept under the carpet by trying to pay inhlawulo (fine for damages) for the incident.

She called on law enforcement agencies to punish people who attempted to interfere with rape cases.

“The fact that there are people who even suggest paying inhlawulo shows the extent of the moral decay. There is no better punishment for a person who rapes than sending him to prison,” she added.

A team of social workers have been dispatched to provide psycho-social support to the elderly woman and her family for trauma debriefing and containment.