Suspended sentence for 20-year-old for statutory rape
A 20-year-old man was handed a suspended sentence after being found guilty of statutory rape.
The man was sentenced to four years imprisonment which is wholly suspended for five years. The man was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The court ordered that his name be added to the sexual offender’s register.
He was also ordered to complete a 10-week programme administered by the National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (Nicro).
Nicro operates on four main service streams, namely crime prevention, diversion, offender reintegration and non-custodial sentencing.
Handing down sentence in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court, Magistrate Nonceba Jadezweni said the court took into consideration that alcohol played a role during the commission of the crime.
The man, who is a university student, is understood to have engaged in a sexual act with a 13-year-old girl at a park in the Joburg CBD. The two had met at a mutual friend’s party.
They had both consumed alcohol and the man told the court that the girl consented to the intercourse.
In her judgement, Jadezweni noted this claim by the accused and she told the 20-year-old that having sex with a minor is a criminal offence. The magistrate, however, commended the man for not wasting the court’s time.
“You pleaded guilty from the onset. That alone is a mitigating factor, it shows remorse,” Jadezweni commented.
She pointed out that the prevalence of the crime in the court’s jurisdiction was high, adding that the commission of sexual offences was also prevalent in the country and said the courts need to impose sentences that will deter others.
Man sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a mentally-ill woman
The Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court sentenced a 49-year-old man to life imprisonment. Thomas Mphela, was found guilty of raping a 25-year-old mentally ill woman. The court also declared the rapist unfit to possess a firearm.
According to Johannesburg Central Police spokesperson, Captain Xoli Mbele, the accused raped the woman at her home in 2016. The accused was a guest at the victim’s home. He, together with the victim and the victim’s caregiver were all seated together, watching TV. The caregiver at some point went outside and that is when the rape occurred.
“When she came back, she found the accused on top of the victim,” Mbele explained.
The caregiver screamed and Mphela jumped off the victim and left the home. He was arrested two days later and has been in custody since his arrest as he was denied bail.
Mbele said the good conviction is the result of diligent work by the investigating officer, Sergeant Petronella Mathevula.
“This should send a strong message to the community that crime does not pay, that the weed of crime bears bitter fruits,” Mbele said, adding that Johannesburg Central police will continue to do their best through their investigations to ensure that those who commit acts of crime against women and children are put away for a long time.
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