A thorough investigation by Detective Sergeant Kenneth Siyabonga Radebe has resulted in a 28-year-old man being sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a 14-year-old girl in 2022.

The Springs Regional Court sentenced Nelson Gumede on March 5. He was accused of sexually assaulting the minor on multiple occasions.

According to a police spokesperson, Captain Neldah Sekgobela, on October 23, 2022, Gumede sent the victim to a local store to buy a cold drink, and when she came back, he locked her inside his shack and raped her.

“The victim’s sister saw her coming out of the accused’s shack, and she became curious about what was happening. The victim first denied that she was raped, but three days later, she revealed he rape,” Sekgobela said.

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She adds that the case was opened and registered at the Springs Police Station, where the docket landed on Radebe’s table.

“Through a thorough investigation, he was arrested. Radebe, who is from the Springs Family Violence, Child Protection Services and Sexual Offences Unit, collected all witness statements and also booked the victim for assessment by forensic social workers.

“Further information was revealed during the investigation, such as the fact that the accused had started to rape her in May of the same year on several occasions,” she explained.

Ekurhuleni SAPS district commissioner, Major General Anna Sithole, said the sentence underscores the seriousness with which courts view sexual violence.

“It serves as a deterrent to those who continue to perpetrate such heinous crimes in our communities,” Sithole said.