Four life terms for man who raped minor boys

The Pietermaritzburg Regional Court has sentenced a 43-year-old man to four terms of life imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the rape of four boys aged between nine and 14-years-old in the Mbali area, between November 2023 and February 2024.

The accused lived in the same area as the complainants, and he was well-known to their families. He would rape the complainants at his home, under the pretence of needing their assistance there. 

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The matter came to light after one of the complainants reported the rape. This resulted in the other complainants also coming forward. The accused was arrested, and the complainants were taken to the Edendale Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for the necessary assistance.

Regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said, “In aggravation of the sentence, Prosecutor Nangamso Matta handed in victim impact statements (VIS) facilitated by court preparation officer, Nokuvela Mlotshwa and compiled by the complainants and their family members. Some of the complainants said that they no longer felt like real boys after the incident, while others said that they are living in fear and are scared that the incident might recur. Their parents mentioned that the incidents had resulted in a behavioural change in the complainants, and they needed to attend counselling.”

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The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment for each count of rape, and he was deemed unfit to possess a firearm. Further, the court found him unfit to work with children and ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.

“The NPA welcomes the successful finalisation of this matter. We are mandated to pursue justice on behalf of the victims of crime, and we hope that sentences of this nature will deter like-minded individuals,” said Ramkisson-Kara.