A 36-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday for raping a schoolgirl at knifepoint in Paulpietersburg.

Attack on schoolgirl

The Vryheid Regional Court heard that the incident happened in July 2021, when the then-matric pupil was walking home from school and realised she was being followed. The man grabbed her and dragged her into nearby bushes, where he raped her while threatening her with a knife.

Victim reports the incident

According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the victim immediately reported the attack to her family when she got home. “She was taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention, and the accused was arrested two days later after she pointed him out to the police,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

Court proceedings

During the trial, the accused admitted to the crime under Section 220 of the Criminal Procedure Act, after DNA evidence, the J88 medical report, and photo evidence were presented in court.

Impact on the victim

Prosecutor Kwazikwakhe Sibiya told the court that the attack had left the victim deeply traumatised. “She continues to experience flashbacks of the incident, and her school performance has suffered as a result,” Sibiya said in aggravation of sentence.

Life sentence handed down

The court sentenced the accused to life imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm. His name will also be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.

NPA welcomes conviction

Ramkisson-Kara said the NPA welcomed the outcome. “We remain committed to the fight against sexual offences and to ensuring that survivors of gender-based violence see justice served,” she said.

The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.