The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the sentence of life imprisonment imposed by the Pinetown Regional Court on a 30-year-old man following his conviction for the kidnapping and rape of a woman in September 2024.

The complainant, who is mentally and physically disabled, is known to the accused.

The complainant lived in an outbuilding on her uncle’s premises in the Pinetown area, and the accused was their neighbour. 

On the evening of the offence, the accused knocked on the complainant’s room door, and when she answered the door, he grabbed her and took her to his room, where he kept her.

The accused raped the complainant during the night and only released her in the early hours of the following morning. The complainant went home and later went to a day facility in the area where she and her peers spend time.

At this facility, she broke down and confided in one of the caregivers working at the facility that the accused had raped her. The matter was reported to the police, and the complainant was taken to the Chatsworth Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for medical and psycho-social assistance. The accused was subsequently arrested.

Also read: Mother severely impacted by murder of her ‘precious child’

During the trial, Prosecutor Nokwanda Mthembu led the evidence of the complainant, the caregiver from the day facility (the first report) and a psychologist who had done an assessment on the complainant. The medical doctor who examined the complainant also testified. The state further handed in a Victim Impact Statement compiled by the complainant and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Bonisile Mthethwa. In her statement, the complainant said that following the incident, she lives in fear. She said that the accused took advantage of her due to her disabilities.

NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the accused was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for kidnapping and life imprisonment for rape.

“He will serve an effective sentence of life imprisonment. He was declared unfit to possess a firearm, and the court ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.

“The NPA remains steadfast in its commitment to combating sexual offences and gender-based violence. This commitment is strengthened by the continued expansion of the Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) network, which has grown from 55 centres in 2020/2021 to 66 centres currently operating across the country. These centres provide integrated medical, legal, and psychosocial services to survivors of sexual violence, contributing significantly to victim support and the successful prosecution of offenders.

“Together with our partners in the criminal justice system, the NPA will continue to ensure that survivors receive the support they need and that perpetrators of sexual offences are prosecuted without fear, favour, or prejudice,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

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