A 62-year-old KwaZulu-Natal woman who was raped by her neighbour has told the Madadeni regional court how she is still haunted by her ordeal, feels ashamed and distrusts men.
The 34-year-old man from Osizweni, in the north of the province, was sentenced in the Madadeni regional court last week for the 2019 rape.
The woman detailed her pain in a victim impact statement submitted to the court.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, said the woman was asleep in her home when the man broke into her house, threatened her with a knife and raped her.
"The victim reported the matter to the police and DNA samples were taken. Her rapist was arrested soon after the offence. During the trial, the man denied the offence but he was positively linked by DNA analysis,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
Prosecutor Eddie Mbewu led evidence, submitted a medical doctor’s testimony and also handed over a victim impact statement to the court.
In the statement the woman said she was still haunted by the incident, was afraid of being alone and always looking over her shoulder. She said she lacked trust in men and felt ashamed.
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