Mpumalanga man gets life in jail for gang rape

A 32-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Ermelo Regional Court on Wednesday, July 9 for the gang rape of a woman.

According to the NPA provincial spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, the incident occurred on the night of March 22, 2022.

Nyuswa said the convict and his co-accused, who has already been convicted after pleading guilty, approached two women and a man, threatened them with a knife, and robbed the man of his cellphone.

“The man and one of the women managed to escape, but the convict and his accomplice proceeded to take turns raping the other woman before fleeing the scene. The matter was reported to the police, and both accused were traced and arrested shortly thereafter,” Nyuswa said.

The second accused did not plead guilty in court, claiming that he was coerced by his co-accused into committing the crime.

However, the State prosecutor, Chané Rothman, presented compelling evidence from multiple witnesses, including the co-accused. A J88 medical report confirmed injuries to the victim’s genitalia.

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She said the court found the State’s witnesses credible and rejected the accused’s version of events.

“In aggravation of sentence, Rothman highlighted the seriousness and prevalence of rape in the community and the long-lasting emotional trauma suffered by the victim. A victim impact statement, facilitated by the court preparation officer, Faith Masango, detailed the severe psychological and emotional wounds the victim continues to endure,” Nyuswa said.

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The convict was sentenced and declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000.