Child rapist hit with life sentence at Scottburgh Regional Court
The child was threatened by her rapist to keep his crime a secret.
A young girl from the Hlongwa area on the South Coast has received justice after her rapist was handed a life sentence last week.
The Scottburgh Regional Court sentenced the 49-year-old man for raping the child who was only eight at the time.
The incident occurred in February, 2023 in Hlongwa while the child was walking home from school.
She saw the man (who was known to her) on the way. He cannot be named to protect the girl’s identity.
As per the court, he then dragged her into nearby bushes and raped her. Thereafter, he produced a knife and threatened to kill her if she told anyone what he did.
“The complainant went home, and even though she saw her aunt and granny there, she remained silent,” explained Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, NPA regional spokesperson, KZN division.
“A week later, the complainant and her mother were at a local tuck shop when the man walked in. The complainant became hysterical and asked her mother if they could leave immediately. When they got home, the complainant was asked about her unusual behaviour, and she mentioned what the man had done. The complainant’s mother then went back to the tuckshop, where she confronted and assaulted the man, who ignored her.”
The child was then taken to the Port Shepstone Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) where she received medical assistance.
“The next day, the man went to the police station to open a case against the complainant’s mother. He was arrested after the police realised that he was wanted for the rape case.”
During court proceedings, Prosecutor Lindokuhle Gumede led the evidence of the complainant (via an intermediary), her mother and the doctor from the TCC.
The state also handed in a victim impact statement compiled by the complainant’s mother and facilitated by court preparation officer, Nokukhanya Mkhize.
“The mother has been traumatised by this incident to the extent that she does not sleep well at night and has resorted to taking sleeping pills,” added Ramkisson-Kara.
“She said that the complainant experiences nightmares and has also performed poorly at school. She said that after the incident, the complainant is scared to walk to school, and they need to pay for school transport, which is costly.”
The accused denied the offence in court, and further denied knowing his victim.
The court rejected his version and found the complainant to be a reliable witness, even though she was the sole witness to the offence.
The accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm, and he was found unsuitable to work with children.
His name will be entered into the National Registry for Sex Offenders.
“The NPA’s fight against the scourge of sexual violence has been aided by the expansion of the TCC footprint across the country, which has grown from 55 TCCs in 2020/2021 to 66 TCCs at present,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
“The TCCs provide comprehensive services and support to victims of sexual violence.”
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