No imprisonment for recently sentenced rapist
Nicro provides offenders in prison with offender reintegration services rather than imprisonment.
MBOMBELA – A convicted rapist was recently ordered to undergo a life-orientation programme with the National Institute for Crime Prevention and Reintegration of Offenders (Nicro).
Nicro provides offenders in prison with offender reintegration (OR) services. The goal of OR is to reduce the obstacles and challenges faced by released prisoners. It is meant to reduce the likelihood that they will commit another offence once they are released back into society.
The service was placed under the spotlight when a man who was found guilty of rape was recently sentenced in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court. Sfiso Nkalanga Mashaba was found guilty of rape on June 30
this year.
Magistrate Mr André Geldenhuys sentenced him to six years’ imprisonment, suspended for five years. In terms of the judgement, Mashaba was required to enrol and complete a life-orientation programme with Nicro.
Geldenhuys also pointed out that the suspended prison sentence would become effective if the accused was found guilty of contravening a sexual offence as listed in Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act within the next five years. According to Geldenhuys this judgement entrenches the four principles of sentencing. They are deterrence, prevention, retribution and rehabilitation of the offender.
