The Umlazi Regional Court has sentenced a 26-year-old man to four terms of life and 15 years imprisonment for the rape, assault and kidnapping of his ex-girlfriend in May 2022.
At some point before the incident, the pair were in a relationship and had a baby. However, the woman, 29, went back to live with her parents, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said.
“On the day of the incident, the complainant went to the accused’s home to fetch diapers for their child when he attacked her. He hit her on her head and dragged her to his room where he tied her to a pole and assaulted her. He raped her several times, once with the neck of a beer bottle. Her cries for help were heard by the neighbours who tried to intervene but eventually called the police, and the accused was arrested. The complainant was taken to the Umlazi Thuthuzela Care Center, for medical and psycho-social assistance,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.
In the state’s case, Advocate Pratisha Jugnundan led the testimony of the complainant and a medical doctor, as well as the contents of the J88 form. One of the people who tried to intervene between the accused and the complainant also testified about how the accused had threatened them with a knife and that they had then called the police.
“Ms Jugnundan also handed in a Victim Impact Statement compiled by the complainant and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Thuliswa Sontsele. In her statement, the complainant said that following the incident she was emotionally and psychologically traumatised. She lives in fear and is always nervous. She said that she would never forgive the accused for what he had done to her,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.
The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment for each of the four counts of rape, 10 years imprisonment for assault and five years imprisonment for kidnapping. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently; and the accused was deemed unfit to possess a firearm.
Ms Ramkisson-Kara said the NPA welcomes this successful prosecution. Sentences of this nature demonstrate the NPA’s efforts in the fight against gender-based violence and they commend the work done by the prosecution and the South African Police Service (SAPS).