The Madadeni Regional Court near Newcastle sentenced a 44-year-old man to a term of life imprisonment for the continued rape of his stepdaughter from 2013 to 2017.

According to Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the regional spokesperson of the NPA, the man lived with the child, her siblings and her mother. He started raping the child in 2013 when she was eight years old. He raped her on several occasions whenever her mother was not around.

“The incidents came to light in 2017 when the child urinated on herself (due to urinary incontinence) at school. Her teacher asked her what was going on and she revealed that her stepfather was raping her. The child’s mother was called in and the child was taken to the Madadeni Thuthuzela Care Centre for examination and medical and psycho-social assistance. A case was opened with the police and the man was subsequently arrested,” Ramkisson-Kara explained.

In court, the regional court prosecutor, Zwelisha Petros Mhlophe led the evidence of the child via the services of an intermediary.

“During her testimony, the child said that following the incident she got sick for a very long time. She said that she is unable to sleep at night and the ordeal has destroyed her emotionally. The man was sentenced to life imprisonment and the court declared him unfit to possess a firearm,” she added.

The court ordered that his name be added to the National Register for Sex Offenders, and the court further found him unsuitable to work with children.

“The NPA welcomes this successful prosecution, and we commend the work done by both the prosecution and the investigation team,” Ramkisson-Kara concluded.