On Friday April 12 the Ntuzuma Regional Court sentenced a 46-year-old man to life and five years imprisonment for the rape and sexual assault of his stepdaughters. The incidents took place between January 2022, and March 2023, in the Etafuleni area, when the girls were nine and 13 years old.
On March 26, 2023, the nine-year-old girl had been sleeping in the same room as her siblings when the accused went to her. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson- Kara said the man put a knife to the girl’s throat, told her not to scream and raped her.
“She reported the incident to her older sister the next morning. The older sister then told their mother what had happened. The older sister also revealed to her mother that the accused had sexually assaulted her in January 2022. The mother reported the matter to the police and the accused was arrested. The girls were taken to the Phoenix Thuthuzela Care Centre for medical and psycho-social assistance,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.
In court, the state, represented by Prosecutor Senamile Mahlangu led the testimonies of the two girls and their mother. The evidence of the J88 form was also submitted to the court. In advancement of the state’s case, Ms Mahlangu handed in a Victim Impact Statement, compiled by one of the girls.
“In her statement, the girl said that the incident had changed her life forever. She feels embarrassed by what happened and is angry all the time. The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and five years imprisonment for sexual assault. The sentences will run concurrently. The court found him unsuitable to work with children and ordered that his name be entered into the National Register of Sex Offenders,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.
