Grandfather found guilty of raping own grandchildren

NELSPRUIT – “I grabbed her on her on her private parts to prevent her from hitting her head when I suddenly stopped while driving.”

These were the words that caught a grandfather lying to the court. He was subsequently found guilty of raping his three-year-old and 18-month-old granddaughters.

On Thursday Magistrate Mr Roelf Smith found the man (72) guilty of two counts of rape and sentenced him to life imprisonment. His name will be added to the sexual offenders list. State prosecutor Ms Elise du Plessis also requested that the accused never obtain parole.

Forensic nurse Sr Ayesha Moodley testified in court that both girls had physical injuries to their private parts to prove that they had been raped. Previously in court the emotionally traumatised mother said she had noticed that the older child had her pants on the wrong way after coming back from town with the grandfather.

She asked her what had happened and was told that he had taken her pants off and then gestured what he had done.

She said the father took the child into a separate room, asked her the same question and got the same answer. The parents then phoned the police.

During the cross-examination of the accused, Du Plessis pointed out that he had been the only person alone with the two girls on the day of the incident.

He then relented to say that he had touched the three-year-old’s genitals to prevent her from falling in the car when he stopped at a traffic light. Du Plessis made him re-enact the scene with a doll in court, where she pointed out the absurdity of anybody stopping a child by holding them at the genitals.

Smith said the court had a duty to protect women and children. He said the younger the child was the more vulnerable to abuse.

“Regardless of your age, you showed no remorse for what you had done to your own grandchildren and you were entrusted with their care. You have destroyed their lives, that is why there are no special circumstances for a lighter sentence.”