MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR MURDERING HIS MOTHER
12 SEPTEMBER 2025
MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR MURDERING HIS MOTHER
Platfontein, Northern Cape – The Regional Court has sentenced Chris Letratu (29) to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his mother, Dena Letratu (54). Evidence before the court revealed that on 01 August 2024, the accused was at home with his parents and younger brother in Platfontein when he viciously attacked his mother.
Awakened by her reprimands over an earlier incident, Letratu took a wooden pik handle from the kitchen and struck her repeatedly on the head and body. He then dragged her to her bedroom and threw her onto a mattress. The assault occurred in full view of his father and younger brother. Police were called to the scene, and the accused was arrested and charged with murder. Faced with overwhelming evidence, he pleaded guilty and was convicted under Section 51(1) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 105 of 1997. Prosecutor Mothelesi Katlego Thothela told the court that the accused had shown complete disregard for human life by murdering the very person who had nurtured and cared for him. Thothela urged the court to impose the prescribed life sentence, stressing the devastating impact of domestic violence on families and communities. In handing down sentence, the court agreed with the State’s submissions and imposed life imprisonment.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) remains unwavering in its commitment to ensuring justice in cases of domestic violence and safeguarding vulnerable members of society. The NPA emphasises that human life is sacred, and those who commit such heinous crimes will face the full might of the law. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in the Northern Cape hopes this sentence brings some measure of justice and closure to the victim’s family while ensuring that a violent offender is permanently removed from society.
Issued by:
Mojalefa Senokoatsane
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Northern Cape Division
073 423 3539