Justice was finally served after a decade when a man (39) was convicted of raping a young girl in 2015.

According to Zululand Observer, the Ulundi Regional Court sentenced him to life behind bars for the crime committed in Ceza near Mahlabathini.

The rapist cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, as he is related to the victim’s father.

The court heard how, on the day of the rape, the girl went to visit her dad at his home. Upon returning to her mother’s home, she was accosted by the accused.

He raped her, threatening to kill her and her family if she reported the incident to anyone. Fearing for her life, she did not report the matter.

A few days later, she saw him at a family function where he signalled to her he would slit her throat.

However, in April 2022, she saw him again, at a tuck shop, where he asked if she had ‘kept their secret’.

It was then that she returned home and reported the rape to her mother, who reported it to the police. The man was subsequently arrested.

In court, prosecutor Xolani Ndlela led the testimony of the victim, which included a report from the doctor who had examined her, indicating injuries consistent with her version of what had transpired.

Ndlela also submitted a victim impact statement, outlining the physical and mental trauma the girl had endured.

As well as the life sentence, the man was declared unfit to possess a firearm or to work with children.

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