New Year’s Day rapist handed life sentence
The sentence will serve as a warning to other rapists who intend to commit such criminal acts, says a police spokesperson.
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A rapist who came knocking at his victim’s door just after midnight on New Year’s Day last year has been sentenced to life in jail for the attack.
Skhumbuzo Sgede Ngogwana, 26, was this week handed the maximum sentence in the KwaDukuza Regional Court after being convicted for the rape of a woman in Mzulwini in Maphumulo.
“It was on January 1, 2018, just after midnight … A 59-year-old woman was asleep in her house when she heard a knock at her door,” said KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele.
“The victim immediately contacted her children informing them of the [suspect] knocking. When Ngogwana heard the victim making a phone call, he forcefully kicked the door open. He grabbed the victim, dragged her out of the house and repeatedly raped her.”
The case was reported to police, who arrested the suspect the following day.
He was denied bail and has been behind bars since being apprehended.
“This sentence will serve as a warning to other rapists who intend to commit such criminal acts and think they will get away with it,” Mbele said.
“This conviction is also a victory [when it comes] to crimes directed at women and children.”
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