Man sentenced to life for repeated rape of teen in KZN

A 46-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the repeated rape of a teenage girl in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

The man appeared in the Pinetown Regional Court on Wednesday, where the sentence was handed down.

The incidents occurred between February 2023 and January 2024 in the KwaDabeka area.

Court proceedings

In court, State Prosecutor Lethuxolo Nene led the testimony of the 14-year-old girl as well as her granny, who was the first to report the rapes.

The doctor who examined the teen also testified about her injuries. Nene also handed in a Victim Impact Statement compiled by the girl facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Bonisile Mngoma.

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In her statement, the teen said she felt like she was “robbed of her childhood” and had to relocate to another area as she no longer felt safe in her area.

‘Ridiculed’

The teen also said that she was “ridiculed and teased” about what had happened to her.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara the convicted rapist was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and was declared unfit to possess a firearm.

“In addition, the court deemed him unfit to work with children and ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.”

Victim known

Ramkisson-Kara said the man knew his victim as he rented her grandmother’s property.

“The accused would rape the complainant when he called her to his room to assist with chores. The matter eventually came to light after the granny noticed a change in the complainant’s behaviour. She asked the complainant what was wrong and was told about what the accused was doing.

“The granny, together with the other tenants, confronted the accused, and he was arrested. The complainant was taken to the Chatsworth Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for the necessary assistance,” Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said.

Ramkisson-Kara said the NPA remains committed to fighting the “scourge of gender-based violence, and we hope that sentences of this nature demonstrate our commitment.”

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