Woman attacked in house she went to for help after walking out on boyfriend after fight

She had hoped for a safe place to spend the night after a fight with her boyfriend left her stranded.

Initially believing she had found it in a nearby residence‚ she was awoken in her sleep by a 23-year-old man who raped her. This treatment of the 26-year-old woman was taken in a dim light when the case was concluded in court this week.

The Butterworth Regional Magistrate Court has convicted and sentenced her attacker‚ Vuyisile Nqumshe‚ to undergo 18 years imprisonment for rape.

He was also sentenced four years imprisonment for housebreaking. Both sentences to run concurrently.

Explaining the circumstances‚ the SAPS said she had visited her boyfriend on 21 July 2013 at Maduna Location‚ Hange Village‚ Ngqamakhwe.

"The victim and her boyfriend had a misunderstanding that resulted to the victim leaving her boyfriend. She requested a place to sleep over from a nearby homestead. On the same night at about 9pm‚ while she was sleeping in her room alone‚ the accused kicked the door open. The accused raped the victim."