Life imprisonment for man who raped niece, 11, during 17-month ordeal

A 26-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Esikhaleni regional court after he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of rape of his 11-year-old niece between March 2021 and August 2022.

National Prosecuting Authority KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the man, who is the girl's biological uncle and lived in the same house, threatened her with a knife he would heat on a stove when he raped her. 

He was discovered when the girl's younger sibling walked into the room while she was being raped and told her mother. 

“Even though the accused fled the area, he was later arrested. The complainant was taken to the Ngwelezane Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for medical and psychosocial assistance,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

In aggravation of sentence, prosecutor Thamsanqa Eric Sibiya handed in a victim impact statement compiled by the child with the help of court preparation officer Ntombi Chonco.

She said her uncle sometimes raped her more than once a day. The girl mentioned that she had trusted him and considered him to be a father figure and that during her ordeal she often thought of taking her own life.

During his sentencing last Thursday, the man was declared unfit to possess a firearm and the court ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.

“The NPA welcomes the successful finalisation of the matter. We hope that sentences of this nature have the desired deterrent effect,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

Meanwhile, police in KZN said detectives from the family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit had arrested 235 rape suspects in November.

“As the country observes 16 Days of Activism, the fight against gender-based violence has resulted in the arrests of 227 suspects for transgressing the Domestic Violence Act and 39 more suspects were arrested for sexual assault,” said KZN police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda. 

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