Elderly man sentenced for raping minor
In the state’s case, Prosecutor Siduduziwe Mpungose-Nyawo led the evidence of the complainant, her grandmother (who was the first report), and the doctor from the TCC, who attended to the complainant.
The Mtubatuba Regional Court sentenced a 63-year-old man to life imprisonment for the rape (on diverse occasions) of an 11-year-old girl in February 2024 in the KwaMsane area.
The complainant (and her family), and the accused lived in an area where they rented rooms on a property. The complainant and her siblings had their room which was near the accused’s room.
The complainant’s mother and her boyfriend shared a room a bit further away. In February 2024, the accused called the complainant and her sibling to his room and offered them cake and a cool drink.
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He then asked the complainant’s sibling to go and buy snacks from the shop. While the sibling was away, the accused accosted the complainant and raped her. When the sibling returned, the accused pretended as if nothing had happened and told them to watch TV.
The accused raped the complainant on various other occasions and bought her underwear, gave her money, and allowed her to use his cellphone, all without her mother’s permission or knowledge.
At some stage, the complainant’s mother moved away and left the complainant in the care of her grandmother. The grandmother noticed that the complainant had become very reserved and that she was wetting the bed. Her grandmother then asked her what was going on and she advised her grandmother that the accused had been raping her.
The grandmother reported the incident to the complainant’s father, and they informed the police, leading to the accused’s arrest. The complainant was taken to the Othobothini Thuthuzela Care Centre for the necessary assistance and counselling.
Regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said, “In the state’s case, Prosecutor Siduduziwe Mpungose-Nyawo led the evidence of the complainant, her grandmother (who was the first report), and the doctor from the TCC, who attended to the complainant. Mpungose-Nyawo also handed in a victim impact statement compiled by the complainant and facilitated by court preparation officer, Sthe Cebekhulu. In her statement, the complainant said that she feared the accused to such an extent that after revealing the rape to her grandmother, she took an overdose of medication as she was afraid of the consequences.”
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The accused was sentenced accordingly, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm. Further, the court ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
“The NPA welcomes this sentence. It is incumbent on us to fight for justice on behalf of the victims of crime,” Ramkisson-Kara concluded.
