Man gets life behind bars for raping aunt
During the trial, he pleaded not guilty to the charge. He denied the rape and claimed it was consensual.
SEKHUKHUNE – A 22-year-old man was sentenced to life by the Lebowakgomo Regional Court on Tuesday for raping his aunt.
In the early hours of November 11, 2017, the 62-year-old woman was attacked and raped by her nephew. On the day of the incident, the victim was asleep in her own house when he came knocking at 03:00 to tell her there
were thieves in the kraal.
“He requested his aunt to lend him her cell phone so he could use its torch to check for the intruders in the kraal. The victim opened the door and gave him the phone. He went away for few minutes and came back with the phone, and told her that there were indeed thieves.
“The victim put on her clothes to accompany him to the kraal to check on her sheep and goats. On their way to the kraal, he grabbed her by her throat and pushed her to the ground before hitting her with his fists on her forehead. She then lost consciousness,” said the NPA’s spokesperson, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi.
When the aunt regained consciousness, she found herself in her nephew’s bedroom, naked and with him on top
of her.
“After realising she had been raped, she told him she was thirsty and hungry. She asked him to get her food and water. He got off her and went to her house to fetch it. After he had left, the victim ran
to her neighbours for help.”
During the trial, he pleaded not guilty to the charge. He denied the rape and claimed it was consensual.
The old woman denied this; she told the court that her husband had died 15 years ago and that she had not had sex since.
The court rejected his version and convicted him of rape. The Victim Impact Report compiled by a social worker was submitted to the court to demonstrate the impact the rape had had on the woman. It was stated in the report that the woman was now scared to sleep alone and that she has constant nightmares.
The state prosecutor, Bertha Kotsedi, argued for a term of life imprisonment as the victim’s right to privacy was violated.
She further told the court that the nephew had taken advantage of the vulnerability of the old woman. His aunt
had been forced to run out into the street naked, to ask for help. She asked the court to remove him from society, as he had no respect for elderly people.
