A 35-year-old Mozambican man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of his 11-year-old daughter.

The accused, who cannot be named to protect the child, was sentenced by the Nelspruit Sexual Offences Court on Tuesday, April 22.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority’s regional chairperson, Monica Nyuswa, the court also ordered his name to be entered into the National Register for Sexual Offenders, declared him unfit to work with children, and prohibited him from possessing a firearm.

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“The accused and the victim lived together in Clau-Clau Trust in KaBokweni. Before the assaults, he made disturbing remarks to his daughter, claiming he did not ‘bear her to be penetrated by other men’.
“In November 2018, he began raping her and threatened her so she would remain silent. The abuse came to light when the victim’s mother noticed behavioural changes in her daughter, prompting her to alert the police. The accused was subsequently arrested,” said Nyuswa.

She also said the accused pleaded not guilty, deflecting blame onto a family friend and the victim’s brother. The state prosecutor, Leana Jones, presented compelling evidence, including the victim’s testimony detailing one instance in which the accused raped her on the kitchen table.

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“The victim’s mother and brother corroborated her account, and a medical report substantiated the assault. During the trial, it emerged that the accused had threatened the family from prison, further intimidating them. Magistrate Vanessa Joubert found the State’s witnesses credible and reliable, rejecting the accused’s version,” Nyuswa said.

She added that in aggravation of sentence, Jones argued that the accused showed no remorse and was unfit for rehabilitation. She emphasised the devastating impact on the victim, who suffered a decline in school performance and faced community stigma as “a child who sleeps with her father”. Jones urged the court to impose the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment, noting the betrayal of familial trust and the harm to the entire family.

Joubert agreed, finding no substantial or compelling reasons to deviate from the minimum sentence and the accused was sentenced to life.