Esikhawini Regional Court has sentenced a 35-year-old man to life imprisonment for the 2023 rape of a girl (5) in the eMpembeni area.

According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson for the KZN division, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the accused and the victim were known to each other as they were cousins and neighbours.

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She said, on the day of the offence, the girl returned home from school and went to the accused’s house to wait for her mother, who was out running errands.

“Upon the [girl’s] arrival, the accused’s mother left, leaving the victim with [him] and some other children. The accused then took the complainant to a nearby rondavel where he raped her,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

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When the girl’s mother arrived at the accused’s house, her daughter ran to her and the mother asked her what had happened.

“After hearing what had happened, the complainant’s mother confronted the accused, but he denied the allegations. The complainant was taken to Ngwelezane Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC), for medico-legal and psychosocial assistance. The accused was subsequently arrested at his homestead,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

Abuse of trust

Leading evidence, Prosecutor Kamogelo Mahila Nkwatle told the court that the accused showed no remorse for what he had done, saying he was in a position of trust as he was an older relative of the complainant, and was meant to protect her. Instead, he abused that trust.

“The State handed in a Victim Impact Statement (VIS) compiled by the complainant and facilitated by court preparation officer Ntombi Chonco.

“Therein, the complainant stated that before the incident, she was happy, but after the incident, she was sad all the time”.

“In sentencing the accused, the court found him unsuitable to work with children and declared him unfit to possess a firearm. The court ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

She added that 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 in 2020/21 to 66 at present.

“The TCCs provide comprehensive services and support to victims of sexual violence. With our partners in the justice cluster, we will pursue justice for the victims of crime,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

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