SANDF Soldier Sentenced to 20 Years Imprisonment for the Rape of a Minor

07 APRIL 2025

SANDF Soldier Sentenced to 20 Years Imprisonment for the Rape of a Minor

Port Nolloth, Northern Cape - The Port Nolloth Regional Court has convicted and sentenced Peace Mashile (35), a member of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), after the court found him guilty of the rape of a 15-year-old girl. The victim was residing at the base with her mother, who was also a soldier, and the superior of the accused, based at the Alexander Bay at the Inggreas Avenue Army Base.

The accused and the victim knew each other, as both resided on the same army base. They would see each other almost daily when the victim went to and from school, as she also frequently played around the army base. The accused was posted as the guard at the gate of the Base. The victim called the accused, Uncle Peace. On the fateful night of the incident, 09 December 2019, the accused climbed through the bedroom window of the bedroom in which the victim was sleeping. There was a hole in the window, which made entry into the bedroom easy. The victim woke up when she felt the cold hands of the accused touching her, and when she opened her eyes, she saw the accused on top of her. She tried to scream, but the accused covered her mouth with his hand. When the victim tried to remove his hand, the accused choked her until she could no longer resist. The accused proceeded to rape the victim next to her cousin who was sleeping next to her on the same bed. After raping the victim, the accused told her to remain quiet and left the room through the window which he had used to gain entry.

The victim saw the accused outside her room, and she went to the toilet, where she saw blood on the tissue when she wiped herself. The victim went back to her room and saw that the accused was still lingering outside her room. She ran to her mother’s room, woke up her mother and informed her as to what happened. The victim also explained to her mother what the accused was wearing when he raped her. The mother of the victim thought that she was having a nightmare when the cousin indicated that she did not feel anything while she was sleeping next to the victim.

The mother let the victim sleep next to her until morning. In the morning, the victim reiterated what she said the previous night about the accused raping her. The mother of the victim left for work and met the accused on her way. She asked the accused to accompany her to his room without divulging as to why. In his room, the complainant asked the accused what clothes he was wearing the previous night. The accused indicated that he was wearing the same clothes as he was wearing. However, the mother of the victim found clothes like those described by her daughter in the room of the accused. The mother reported the matter, and the SANDF officials wanted to deal with the matter internally, but the mother of the victim insisted that the case be reported to the police.

The case was diligently investigated by Sergeant Shaun Brandt from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in Port Nolloth. DNA evidence recovered from the victim’s clothing conclusively linked the accused to the offence. At the commencement of the trial, the accused pleaded not guilty and attempted to advance a fabricated defence, which was rejected by the court following a thorough and credible prosecution. The accused was also linked to the crime through forensic evidence, as DNA was obtained from the sanitary product the victim was wearing.

In aggravation of sentence, Regional Court Prosecutor Basil Kock argued that the accused, who was in a position of trust, not only violated the dignity of the victim but also betrayed the trust of her family, his employer, and the broader society. The social worker who compiled the victim impact report testified to the extensive emotional, physical, psychological, and developmental trauma suffered by the child.

The report detailed that the child’s school performance declined, and she experienced anxiety, sleep disturbances, and fear. She no longer felt safe in her home and community. The trauma further affected the entire family, prompting the mother to resign from her post and relocate to Pretoria. Although the State submitted that no substantial or compelling circumstances existed to deviate from the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment, the court found that there were substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, and the accused was sentenced to 20 years of direct imprisonment. The court further ordered that the accused’s name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm, and he was further declared unfit to work with or have access to children.

The NPA commends the victim for her bravery, her mother for her unwavering pursuit of justice, and the prosecutorial and investigative teams for their outstanding work. The National Prosecuting Authority(NPA) reaffirm its commitment to the fight against gender-based violence and the protection of vulnerable groups, particularly children. All cases of sexual violence encroach on the rights to dignity and privacy of the victims as enshrined in our constitution, hence the NPA aggressively prosecutes these cases.

Issued by:

Mojalefa Senokoatsane
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Northern Cape Division
Email: MSenokoatsane@npa.gov.za
Contact: 073 423 3539