The Protea Regional Court imposed two life sentences on a 30-year-old man for sexually molesting and raping his six-year-old stepdaughter in Meadowlands for five years.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane, said Sergeant Kok’s investigation revealed the pattern of abuse by the accused, who used the moments when the victim’s mother was away.
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“In some instances, the abuse occurred during morning bath time when the man molested the six-year-old while her mother was preparing lunch,” Mjonondwane said.
She said that on October 21, 2020, the mother left the victim in the accused’ care to attend a funeral.
The accused woke the victim, took her to his room, subjected her to pornographic material and forcibly raped her using lotion. The victim then suffered physical harm and bleeding for six days,’’ Mjonondwane said.
According to her, the abuse had been ongoing from 2015 to 2020.
“The victim stayed silent because of fear, believing the accused’s threats to harm her and her mother, whom she described as violent during her testimony.
“After witnessing fights between them, she disclosed the secret to her uncle on November 7, 2020, but the uncle took no action,’’ explained Mjonondwane.
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Mjonondwane added that the victim then told her cousin, who informed her mother.
The mother, previously unaware, had assumed the victim’s bleeding was menstruation and bought her sanitary towels. The victim’s disclosure led to the accused’s arrest.
The accused met the victim’s mother in prison and started a relationship, later moving in with her and the victim after his release.
“During his testimony in mitigation, the accused denied all allegations of sexual abuse and suggested the mother influenced the child’s statements.
“The magistrate agreed with regional court prosecutor Magadi Mangena’s argument that the accused had been manipulating the child through sexual grooming for over five years while they lived together,’’ she said.
Mjonondwane said the NPA remains committed to advocating for victims of GBV and holding perpetrators accountable.
