Pretoria hotel child rapist sentenced to life in prison
“He did all these appalling acts without regard of his victims’ dignity and feelings. He had full knowledge that they were children.”
A 46-year-old man who raped a 13-year-old child and attempted to rape her 11-year-old friend at Pretoria Hotel, was on Tuesday sentenced to life imprisonment in the Pretoria magistrate’s court.
Amos Khumalo was arrested in November 2020 at the hotel.
Khumalo was accused of kidnapping the girls from Lotus Gardens near Atteridgeville before he went to book a room at the Pretoria Hotel, where the rape occurred.
Earlier this year, Khumalo pleaded guilty and was convicted for the rape of the 13-year-old and attempted rape of the 11-year-old.
Magistrate Thekiso, handing down his sentence judgment on Tuesday, said Khumalo carefully planned to rape the two minors.
“He had to identify a hotel, choose how many rooms he would book and he chose to book one room where he was going to spend the night with children.
This whole arrangement would have involved processes, including but not limited, to making payments at the hotel. Processes that would count upon him to apply his mind.
The accused also did state that after booking, he left the room to buy drinks at a nearby filling station. He had ample time to change his mind.”
Thekiso said Khumalo, as an adult, had the responsibility to protect the children.
“He had to ensure that he took them home safely but he instead raped one.
As if that was not enough, he proceeded to the other victim who was even younger.”
Thekiso said Khumalo only just failed to rape the 11-year-old.
“He did all these appalling acts without regard for his victims’ dignity and feelings. He had full knowledge that they were children.”
Thekiso said in his judgment he took into consideration the impact of the crime on the minors, society and the circumstances of the accused.
He said he did not find any substantial reason that warranted the court to deviate from the minimum sentence for the perpetrators of the rape of children under 16 years of age – which is life imprisonment.
Thekiso said the physical harm endured by the children was severe and left psychological damage they would have to deal with for the rest of their lives.
“One of the victims said the rape traumatised her to an extent that her performance at school was negatively affected.”
Furthermore, Thekiso said Khumalo was not remorseful.
“The accused attempted to exonerate himself by saying that the victims were the ones who insisted on going with him for the night.”
He said Khumalo’s statement was not a sign of remorse and taking responsibility.
“In the pre-sentence report he said, ‘even though I was heavily under the influence of alcohol I was still able to appreciate the difference between right and wrong’. It is clear that he knew perfectly well what he was doing.
His behaviour shows lack of respect for the rights and physical integrity of human dignity. Due to the seriousness of the offence, preventative punishment must come to the fore in the sentence to be imposed.”
In addition to life, Thekiso further sentenced Khumalo to eight years in prison for attempted rape, the sentences are to run concurrently.
“The court gives order that the particulars of the accused to be included in the national register of sexual offenders.
The accused is also declared unsuitable to work with children, his name must be entered into the national child protection register.”
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