The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has welcomed a hefty sentence imposed on a 65-year-old rapist for raping a 10-year-old girl. He was sentenced by the Nkomazi Regional Court on Wednesday, 27 September 2023.
The court heard how the accused would lure his victim to his residential place whenever she was alone at home or cornered her whenever she was sent to the shops by her family.
The string of rapes were discovered when the victim’s mother saw the victim with some chocolates at home. Upon questioning her, she informed her mother that she received the items from a friend. Her statement though could not convince her mother who on the following day decided to make a follow-up from the alleged friend at school. Her friend denied any knowledge of the chocolates story.
Through the intervention of the victim’s teacher, it was revealed that the innocent girl received some chocolates from a man whose identity was unknown at that stage. Both the victim’s mother and the teacher became more suspicious then took the victim to hospital where the rape was confirmed.
The matter was then brought to the attention of the Tonga SAPS on 19 June 2018 where a rape case with two counts was eventually registered.
The investigation was handled by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit. The probe led to the arrest of the suspect on 26 June 2018.
Investigation further revealed that the accused would threaten to kill the victim and her family should she divulge it to anyone. He was convicted and sentenced for the two counts of rape to 20 years’ imprisonment on each count. The court ordered for the two sentences to run concurrently, meaning that the accused will serve an effective 20 years’ behind bars.
His name will also be entered into the Register of Sexual Offenders and he has been deemed unfit to work with children.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela indicated that Gender-Based-Violence and Child Abuse is a sign of disrespect to human dignity and it remains a serious challenge in communities. The General further called on community members to join hands with the Police and other structures in the fight against this pandemic. The General also welcomed the sentence and commended the victim’s mother and teacher for the efforts they displayed. “Our appreciation also goes to the Investigation Team, the Prosecution team and the Judiciary which culminated into the sentence possible,” concluded the General.
Content retrieved from: https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=48716.
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