Three men get maximum sentences for raping their stepdaughters

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) this week secured life terms for three men found guilty of raping young girls in their care.

The three men, all in their mid-forties, where sentenced in separate cases in Sasolburg, eMalehleni and KwaMashu.

The sentences represent a small victory, as the third quarter crime stats presented by Minister of Police Bheki Cele showed that 12 211 rapes had been reported between October and December 2023.

Life imprisonment for 45-year-old in Free State

The Sasolburg Regional Court sentenced a 45-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping his 13-year-old stepdaughter.

The incident occurred in 2021, when the child reported to police that she was raped by the man who had been residing in the same home.

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“The prosecutor argued that the accused had betrayed the people he should have protected by raping the victim. He not only betrayed the child by raping her but also took her innocence,” stated NPA Free State Regional Spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane.

Two life terms for rape of stepdaughters

A 46-year-old man was sentenced to two life terms in the eMalahleni Regional Court for two counts of rape.

The first incident occurred in 2022 when the mother of the victims was away. The second occurred in September 2023 after the man had had a fight with his wife.

The wife had locked herself in their bedroom but later that evening caught her husband raping her daughter. The man immediately handed himself over to police.

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Explaining Magistrate JJ Combrink’s sentence, NPA Mpumalanga Regional Spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said: “He found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from an ordained sentence. The accused was sentenced to two life terms.”

Preyed on victim while mother was at work

The Ntuzuma Regional Court sentenced a 46-year-old man to life imprisonment for the repeated rape of his stepdaughter between 2019 and 2022 in Inanda.

Threats by the man convinced the girl to keep quiet about the ordeals she was suffering while her mother was working the night the shift.

The victim’s mother noticed her daughter was showing signs of pregnancy. The girl then told her how the stepfather had helped force a miscarriage using medication.

The man had also confessed to an acquaintance and the information led to his arrest.

“In her statement, the girl said that the ordeal has left her confused, angry and upset. She said that the accused had robbed her of her childhood,” explained NPA KZN Regional Spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.

Rape down from last quarter

Minister Cele stated back in February that rape cases had decreased by 1.7% across the country.

He added that 4 783 suspects had been arrested for sexual offences related crimes such as rape and attempted rape between October and December 2023.

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Reiterating their commitment to solving gender based crimes, he concluded:

“What is most encouraging is that, Inanda which has always been known as the rape capital of the country, has also seen a slight reduction in the number of rape cases by registering 20 counts lower than the same period under review.”