Man sentenced for rape of minor near KaBokweni
A man has been sentenced for the rape of a minor that took place near KaBokweni nearly 13 years ago.
A 37-year-old man was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Nelspruit Sexual Offences Court on August 30 for the rape of a minor (13) near KaBokweni almost 13 years ago.
The man was sentenced to an additional four years for housebreaking with committing a crime unknown to the state. According to the Mpumalanga National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, on the evening of September 24, 2010, the victim’s mother had left the minor and her siblings at home in Edwaleni Trust to attend to her sister’s ill child. While the mother was out, the perpetrator broke in and found the child asleep with her siblings.
“He ordered the victim to carry some items, took her to the nearest river and raped her. He then fell asleep. The victim got a chance to escape and reported the rape ordeal to her family, and her mother was alerted,” said Nyuswa.
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“The accused was subsequently arrested, granted bail, and later absconded. He was rearrested in 2017, after a warrant of arrest was issued. During the trial, the accused took the stand and denied the allegations against him.”
Nyuswa said the state prosecutor, Thembi Mabuza, led evidence from the victim, her aunt and her cousin. Their evidence was supported by a forensic nurse’s evidence.
In aggravation of the sentence, Mabuza presented a victim impact statement compiled by the victim’s mother. “She stated that the incident severely affected her, and the victim’s performance at school dropped as a result. They had to relocate to another area to escape the trauma caused by the ordeal she had gone through,” said Nyuswa.
Magistrate Majaji Ngobeni found no substantial or compelling circumstances to justify a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence of life. The court ordered the accused’s name to be added to the National Register for Sex Offenders. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm and unsuitable to work with children.
