The Durban Regional Court on Friday sentenced a 48-year-old man to life imprisonment for the repeated rape of his biological daughter, as well as 15 years for sexual assault.
The court heard that the victim, who lived with her father and stepmother, endured the horror ordeal between 2015 and 2020, starting when she was 13 years old.
The father, who cannot be named for the victim’s protection, sexually assaulted her on several occasions while residing in the Malukazi and Empangeni areas.
When her stepmother died, the family relocated to Durban and the father started raping the daughter, threatening to kill her or burn down the house if she reported him.
He would sometimes keep a firearm nearby when he raped her to instil fear.
The victim eventually reported the rape to a schoolteacher who contacted a social worker.
She was taken to the Umlazi Thuthuzela Care Centre for medical and psycho-social assistance.
Her father left the area but was traced by the police and arrested six months later.
The court heard testimony from the victim, her schoolteacher, the social worker, a doctor and the victim’s brother who testified she would often spend the night in her father’s room with the door locked.
The girl’s victim impact statement intimated her humiliation, anger and loss of confidence over what she had endured.
The rapist’s number has also been entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
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