FATHER SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR RAPING 14-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER

09 September 2025

FATHER SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR RAPING 14-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER

Sasolburg, Free State – The Sasolburg Regional Court has sentenced a 49-year-old father to life imprisonment for raping his 14-year-old biological daughter. Magistrate Phakama Ngewu presided, and Regional Court Prosecutor Ntombi Marase successfully prosecuted the case. The sentencing was delivered today, 09 September 2025.

The court ordered the accused’s name entered into the National Register for Sexual Offenders, but no order was made under Section 103(1) of Act 60 of 2000 regarding firearm possession. The incident occurred on 16 May 2019, when the father returned home from work to a shack on his mother’s property in Zamdela, Sasolburg, where he lived with his daughter. That evening, after waking her from a nightmare, he instructed her to sleep in his bed. Later, he joined her, ordered her to remove her underwear, and raped her.

In the early morning, he assaulted her again, attempting to silence her with promises of a repaired cellphone and a winter school uniform. Instead of attending school, the brave teenager confided in her paternal grandmother, who took her to the hospital. The Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) Zamdela recovered a cloth from the accused’s bed containing his semen, with DNA analysis confirming it as his. During a family meeting later that day, hearing police sirens, the accused tried to flee but was apprehended by his brothers. He pleaded not guilty, claiming ignorance of why his daughter would fabricate the allegations, but forensic evidence proved his guilt.

The court rejected his defence, convicting him of raping his daughter while in his care. Magistrate Ngewu highlighted the crime’s severity, noting the victim’s vulnerability, the breach of trust, and the accused’s prior rape conviction. Prosecutor Marase argued for the maximum penalty, citing the accused’s lack of remorse, his status as a repeat offender, and the danger he poses to society and his family. She urged a life sentence to protect vulnerable members. The court found no substantial or compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum, imposing life imprisonment.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Free State Division welcomes this sentence, showcasing the justice system’s resolve to combat gender-based violence (GBV), especially against women and children. It provides closure to victims and their families while removing violent offenders from the streets. Ends

Issued by:

Mojalefa Senokoatsane

NPA Regional Spokesperson

Free State Division

Email: MSenokoatsane@npa.gov.za

Tel: 073 423 3539