Cape Town - A 52-year-old man from Embalenhle in Mpumalanga has been sentenced to life imprisonment for repeatedly raping his 12-year-old stepdaughter.
The man, who cannot be named to protect the victim’s identity, was convicted and sentenced in the Secunda Regional Court.
According to the provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Monica Nyuswa, the stepfather would wait until the girl’s guardian left for work before raping her.
The rapes took place between 2020 until 2021.
The crime stopped after the girl had a stomach ache at school and notified her teacher. When the school wanted to send her home to make her comfortable, the girl refused and disclosed she was afraid of going home because her stepfather raped her.
The teacher immediately reported the matter to her mother and the police were alerted.
In court, the stepfather pleaded not guilty and maintained his innocence throughout the trial.
Evidence from the teacher, victim, and her mother was led by State Prosecutor Grace Khoza.
“The evidence was supported by the J88 medical report which confirmed that the victim was penetrated, including the evidence of a forensic nurse. The court found the evidence of the State witnesses reliable and credible,” Nyuswa said.
In her victim impact statement, the young girl detailed her traumatic experience and told the court she was now living in fear.
Khoza called for a life sentence to be imposed and submitted to the court that as her stepfather, it was this man’s job to love and protect the young girl. Instead, he destroyed her trust and sexually violated her.
The court found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
“The NPA welcomes the conviction and sentence, this affirms our commitment to curbing the scourge of gender-based violence,” Nyuswa said.
IOL