Man sentenced to life after raping his stepdaughter multiple times
The victim was raped multiple times at home while her mom was working night shift.
An Eersterust man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter.
According to a statement by the NPA, the 38-year-old man was sentenced at the Pretoria magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
He was convicted of raping his stepdaughter on multiple occasions in 2018 and 2019.
“The stepfather, mother and the victim were staying together in the same house,” said NPA regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.
“However, the stepfather would rape the victim while the mother was working night shift.
“This was discovered after the victim told a teacher at her school what was happening.
“After the teacher told the mother about it, the mother reported the matter to the police.”
The press release further adds that when the convicted rapist learnt that the police were looking for him, he disappeared for a few months and later returned to Eersterust and handed himself over to the police on June 27, 2019.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied the allegations.
In her testimony, using intermediary services of the Department of Justice, the victim told the court how the stepfather threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the rapes.
The victim told the court preparation officer, Chad Wentzel, that, due to the traumatic nature of the event, she no longer trusts men and that her performance at school has deteriorated.
She also said she has regular flashbacks of the event.
During the sentencing, Advocate Michael Shivuri argued that the accused was in a position of trust and had abused that trust.
He further argued that he had shown no remorse in court and refused to take responsibility for his actions.
With all of these factors in mind, Shivuri said the only fitting sentence was life imprisonment.
“The NPA welcomes the conviction and sentence,” said Mahanjana.
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