Man gets life for raping a mentally impaired woman

Kenneth Albert Sithole (36) from Kwa-Thandeka in Amsterdam, was sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday by the Piet Retief Regional Court for raping a 20-year-old mentally impaired woman.

This is after Sithole pleaded guilty on a charge of rape and was convicted. On the Christmas Eve of 2018 Sithole who was known to the victim lured her away from her grandmother’s house to his place and raped her.

The grandmother became worried about the victim’s disappearance. She went to search for her with no success and eventually reported her to the police. The next morning, the grandmother found the victim roaming in the street not far from her house. When she questioned her, she then told her grandmother that Sithole forcefully took her to his place where he had sexual intercourse with her without her consent.

The matter was reported to the authorities and Sithole was subsequently arrested. In court, Sithole did not dispute that he had sexual intercourse with the victim on the night in question but alleged that they were in a love relationship.

The State Advocate, Marlin Cairncross, led the evidence of a psychologist which confirmed that the victim was unable to give consent due to her mental disability. Cairncross further highlighted the plight of vulnerable members of society in aggravation of sentence. He argued that people cannot live in a society where women and children are driven to the periphery and downgraded to second class citizens as a result of people like Sithole.

The court found no mitigating factors to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life. Sithole was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The NPA condemns violence against women and children.

Monica Nyuswa

Regional Spokesperson: DPP Mpumalanga

0130450625/ 0764855446

Email: mnyuswa@npa.gov.za