The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) have welcomed the sentencing of a 27-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping his six-year-old niece in 2020.

The man was sentenced in the Mankweng Regional Court and his name added to the National Sexual Offences register. He was also found unfit to possess a firearm.

The spokesperson for the Limpopo National Public Prosecution, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said the court heard that the victim had been playing at home when the accused called her to his shack and raped her.

“The accused threatened the victim not to tell anyone and gave her R1 to keep it a secret. The victim denied it. The victim reported the incident to her mother and she was taken to the hospital where the rape was confirmed. The hospital alerted the police and the accused was arrested,” she said.

Malabi-Dzhangi said the accused pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations.

“A J88 was handed to the court to corroborate the evidence of the doctor, who testified about the injuries the victim sustained throughout the ordeal. The mother told the court that she noticed strange behaviour in her child. She further told the court about the pain of having her child raped by her brother.”

During sentencing Advocate Makgomothi Masehela urged the court to impose a harsh sentence and stated that the accused showed no remorse for his actions.