A man accused of raping a teenager during a traditional function held in Bergville in September 2014 has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.

The 15-year-old girl had just stepped out of a building when she was approached by the accused. He forced her into nearby bushes where he raped her. A patron at the function heard the commotion and came to the girl’s rescue, causing the accused to flee from the scene.
The incident was quickly reported to others at the function and the men attending it went in search of the suspect, but he could not be found.

Police were called and members from the Ladysmith Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) were tasked with the investigation of the case.

The accused was subsequently traced to the Amangwe area where he resided but he was still nowhere to be found. Police doggedly remained on his trail and he was then located in a hostel in Gauteng less than a month after the incident took place.

He was arrested and brought to Ladysmith to stand trial for rape. The 24-year-old accused was found guilty and sentenced on March 31, 2016 in the Ladysmith Regional Court to 20 years’ imprisonment.

He was also found unfit to possess a firearm and was declared unfit to work with children.

His name is to be entered into the National Register for Sexual Offenders. The KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni commended the FCS members for the sentence.

“We are appealing to the victims of crime to make sure they report the cases to the police if they are abused,” she said.