LIFE SENTENCE FOR RAPE OF A MINOR

29 MAY 2025

LIFE SENTENCE FOR RAPE OF A MINOR

The Nquthu Regional Court has sentenced a 27-year-old man to life imprisonment for the rape of a 10-year-old-girl in the Mondlo area in November 2022. The accused and the complainant were known to each. The complainant lived with her grandparents and was under their care, as the complainant’s mother lived in another area where she worked. The accused lived on the same property as the complainant and her grandparents. On the day of the incident, the complainant was watching TV alone in one of the dwellings on the property when the accused went to her. Once he established that she was alone, he raped her. Thereafter, he threatened to hurt her and her mother if she told anyone what he had done. The complainant later reported the incident to her mother, and she was taken to a nearby hospital for examination. The doctor there confirmed that she had been sexually violated. The police were contacted the police, and the accused was arrested.

In court, Prosecutor Bongispho Smangaliso Msebe Mthembu handed in a Victim Impact Statement compiled by the complainant and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Victoria Griffiths. Therein, the complainant said that she considered the accused to be her brother, and he took advantage of her. She says that she now feels like she’s different from other children. She is no longer carefree. In addition to the life sentence, the accused was declared unfit to possess a firearm, and the court ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.

The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the life sentence handed down. Cases such as this underscore the NPA’s commitment to ensuring that justice is served, particularly in cases involving crimes against the most vulnerable members of our society, our children.

Issued by:

Natasha Ramkisson-Kara
NPA Regional Spokesperson
KZN Division
0716700229