Child rapist sentenced to life
The consensus among community members was that no sentence would ever be harsh enough for the rape of a child.
A 37-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Madadeni Regional Court for raping a six-year-old girl.
According to reports, the man allegedly raped the girl at a traditional umqombothi ceremony he attended in October, 2012.
The victim is an orphan who resides with her grandmother in Madadeni.
An official source revealed the accused was a familiar face in the area, making the brutal assault all the more horrifying. It is further alleged the suspect was intoxicated at the time of the rape.
“The man called an older girl and attempted to rape her, but she managed to escape,” claimed the source. “It was only then that he approached the victim, who was unable to escape.”
It was further alleged the other children who were in the yard witnessed the sexual assault and reported it to their grandmother.
Later, the victim was questioned and confirmed she was in fact raped.
Newcastle Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit took over from Madadeni police and arrested the suspect.
The accused appeared in court where bail was opposed until his sentencing.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni, welcomed the sentence.
“We will continue to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves and make sure that justice is meted out to those who continue to abuse vulnerable children in this province,” she concluded.
The accused maintained his innocence up until his sentencing on January 15.
According to national media reports, statistics revealed that in 2013 and 2014, 62 649 rape case were reported. It is estimated that only one in nine rapes are reported to the police. Therefore, the actual number of rapes in South Africa much higher than those recorded by police.
The worrying statistics confirm the mentality of society needs to change. Speaking out on something as paramount as rape is something the community cannot ignore. Justice cannot be served unless the silence is broken.
The consensus among community members was that no sentence would ever be harsh enough for the rape of a child.
No words or actions could ever heal the wounds of this precious six-year-old girl, but justice prevailed in the end.
