After a protracted legal battle and months of public frustration, convicted child rapists Marinus and Morné Kemp are finally behind bars, with their appeal dismissed and their extended bail revoked, bringing an end to their long delay in serving their sentences.

These brothers have had their bail extended by the Pretoria High Court last year, despite the court revoking it, raising questions about potential special treatment after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed they remained free due to an agreement with their legal representative.

AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit spokesperson Barry Bateman said they never doubted that the Kemp brothers would eventually find themselves in prison, as there were no grounds for them to appeal their conviction and sentence.

“We believe the Supreme Court of Appeal made the appropriate decision; we do, however, still have our reservations about the approach taken by the National Prosecuting Authorities in even allowing the two brothers to be released on bail by agreement pending the outcome of this decision, considering that it was inevitable.”

He added that they hope that this will bring justice for the family.

“We hope that this will bring justice for the family and the young girl who the Kemp brothers raped, and they can move on with their lives knowing the perpetrators will be sitting behind bars for a very long time.

In October 2022, the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court convicted the Kemp brothers for the 2018 rape of a 14-year-old girl.

The families of the victim and the accused were once close friends, living in the same neighbourhood from 2014 to 2018 and frequently spending time together.

The daughters in both families developed a special bond, leading to many visits and sleepovers, fostering a sense of trust and familiarity between them.

At the time of the incident, Morné, one of the accused brothers, was living in a separate flat on the property of Marinus.

The court order revealed the shocking details that the rape took place during a sleepover in the house of Marinus, in a room where his own children were also sleeping.

The court sentenced Morné to 25 years’ imprisonment and Marinus to a 20 year jail term.

They immediately appealed their conviction and have been on bail since then. On October 30, the Pretoria High Court dismissed the appeal and revoked their bail.

The court ordered the brothers to surrender themselves within seven days to the investigating officer or report to the Pretoria North police station to be arrested and start serving their sentence.

Bateman said the unit represents the victim and her mother, who approached the unit after learning that her daughter’s convicted rapists had not been arrested, despite their unsuccessful appeal.

The mother could not obtain clear answers from the authorities and remains concerned because the two men live in her neighbourhood.

The victim’s mother expressed her relief that justice has finally been served.

“There is finally justice for my child. My mother once asked me — if they ever asked you to visit them in prison, saying they feel remorse and want forgiveness, what would you do? I said I would go. I want to face them. I forgave them a long time ago, but forgetting? That’s something I’ll never be able to do. I still have nightmares about those people.

“My child still struggles to cope, but I take comfort in knowing that justice has been done. And even if they hadn’t been held accountable here on earth, they would have had to answer to God.
“They are now paying for their sins. What you do to others will eventually come back to you. They should have thought about the consequences of their actions.

“I made a promise to my child that I would fight for her justice until my last breath — and now, we finally have it. She turned 21 yesterday, and this news is the best gift she could have received.”

Also read: Special treatment confirmed: Kemp brothers’ bail extended despite conviction

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