ZAMDELA – Detective Sergeant Agnes Mankge of the Zamdela Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offenses Unit has once again brought a sexual offender to justice through her dedicated investigative work.
This time, a 46-year-old African male was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his daughter.
This comes after the Sasolburg Regional Court convicted the Sasolburg-based man on September 4.
According to police reports, the man was arrested after violating his teen daughter in May 2019.
Fezile Dabi District Police spokesperson Sergeant Josephine Rani said that at around 17:00, the father found the teen at home.
“The victim was lying on the couch when her father arrived and inquired about her well-being. She replied that she wasn’t feeling well.”
Rani said later that night, at around 20:00, the father instructed the victim to sleep with him in his bedroom.
“During the early hours of the morning, he raped the victim, threatening her not to disclose the incident while promising to buy her winter school clothes,” she said.
Rani said the incident was brought to light the following day when the victim reported the matter.
“She [the victim] reported the incident to her grandmother and uncle, who subsequently reported the matter to the police. Upon learning that the police were searching for him, the suspect went into hiding,” she said.
The case was assigned to Detective Sergeant Mankge, who, along with Zamdela CSC members, successfully tracked and arrested the suspect.
Speaking to Ster, Mankge shared her reaction following the successful conviction.
“I feel proud of the results of the sentencing. I worked tirelessly to make sure that I delivered justice. From gathering evidence to thoroughly investigating, I worked hard to make sure that people like that are removed from our communities,” she said.
“Seeing families and victims getting justice always leaves me happy. The investigation wasn’t an easy task, especially because the offender is the biological father of the victim. I met the victim and the family after the sentencing, and they are happy with the sentencing. I couldn’t have done this without the help of my colleagues; by saying so, I also thank them,” she said.
