NPA SECURES 18-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR MAN CONVICTED OF RAPING NINE-YEAR-OLD COUSIN

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has secured an 18-year direct imprisonment sentence against a 27-year-old man convicted of raping his cousin in the Mpumuza area of Pietermaritzburg in December 2020.

The Pietermaritzburg Regional Court imposed the sentence after finding the accused guilty of raping the complainant, who was nine years old at the time of the offence. The accused was 21 years old when the crime was committed. The two resided with their grandmother.

Evidence presented in court revealed that on the day of the incident, the complainant and the accused were alone at home while their grandmother was at work.

Although they slept in separate rooms, the accused entered the complainant's bedroom and raped her. He subsequently threatened to kill her if she disclosed the incident to anyone.

The complainant reported the matter to her mother a week later when she arrived to fetch her for the school holidays.

The incident was subsequently reported to the police, and the complainant was referred to the Edendale Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC), where she received medical and psychosocial support. The accused was later arrested and charged.

During the trial, Prosecutor Nosipho Kunene-Ngcobo led the evidence of the complainant and her mother, who was the first person to whom the offence was reported.

In aggravation of sentence, the State submitted Victim Impact Statements prepared by the complainant and her mother, facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Nokuvela Mlotshwa.

In her statement, the complainant described the psychological trauma she continues to endure, stating that she no longer feels like a complete human being. Her mother told the court that the incident had profoundly affected her daughter's emotional well-being, resulting in behavioural changes and negatively impacting her studies.

In sentencing the accused, the court deviated from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment. The court found that the accused's youthfulness at the time of the offence, together with the principle of proportionality, constituted substantial and compelling circumstances that justified a departure from the prescribed sentence.

The accused was sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment and declared unfit to possess a firearm.

The court further ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders and the National Child Protection Register.

The NPA remains steadfast in its commitment to combating sexual offences and gender-based violence. This commitment is reinforced through the continued expansion of the Thuthuzela Care Centre network, which has grown from 55 centres in 2020/21 to 66 centres currently operating across the country.

These centres provide integrated medical, legal and psychosocial services to survivors of sexual violence, ensuring a victim-centred response while contributing significantly to the successful prosecution of offenders and the reduction of secondary victimisation.

Issued by:

Natasha Ramkisson-Kara

NPA Regional Spokesperson