Mpumalanga stepfather sentenced to 2 life terms for rape of minor stepdaughter
The stepfather, a 41-year-old living near Mkhulu, was accused and sentenced on two counts of rape of a minor.
A 41-year-old man from Huntington near Mkhuhlu was recently sentenced to two life terms for raping his 13-year-old stepdaughter on two separate occasions by the Mhala Regional Court.
According to a statement by the Mpumalanga National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, the accused was convicted on two counts of rape and was sentenced to life imprisonment on each one.
Nyuswa said the victim was 13 when the first incident happened. She was residing in the same house as the accused and her mother in Newington Trust.
“On January 12, 2020 and February 9, 2022, the victim’s mother was away. The accused forcefully raped the victim,” she said.
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“The victim reported the incident to her mother and aunt. This led to the accused’s arrest. He denied the allegations levelled against him in court.”
Nyuswa said the state prosecutor, Matome Maake, led evidence supported by a J88 medical report that showed the victim had sustained injuries due to forced penetration during the ordeal, including the testimony of a forensic nurse.
The accused was found guilty on both counts and was sentenced accordingly. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, the effective sentence being life imprisonment.
Nyuswa said the court had ordered that the accused’s name be entered into the National Register for Sexual Offenders. He was declared unfit to possess a firearm and was further declared unfit to work with children.
“The NPA welcomes the conviction and sentence as it sends a strong message that violence against women and children is seen in a very serious light by our courts,” she said.
