The Bloemfontein Sexual Offences Court has imposed a life sentence on a 39-year-old man for raping his girlfriend’s teenage daughter in early 2023. The sentence was based on compelling evidence and testimony from the victim.

The victim was 14 years old at the time of the rape at her home in Phelindaba, Bloemfontein. The man was convicted on 30 January this year, but sentencing proceedings were postponed until 2 April.

Magistrate Pholisa Mcilongo presided over the proceedings, with state prosecutor Azola Key leading the prosecution. The court also ordered that the accused’s details be entered in the National Register of Sex Offenders (NRSO) and declared him unsuitable to work with children.

Mcilongo exercised her judicial discretion in imposing a life sentence, despite the defence attorney citing substantial and compelling circumstances, including that the accused has two minor children to provide for and had shown remorse. Key strongly argued there was no evidence proving the accused was a primary caregiver or that he had shown remorse, noting the accused had lied throughout the trial.

The court heard the rape occurred after the accused had slept over at the victim’s home the previous night after arriving in the company of the victim’s mother. Testimony revealed he raped her on the morning of 18 March 2023, shortly after the victim’s mother left for work.

The victim informed her mot-her about the rape after being persuaded by her best friend, who was then 13 years old, and the friend’s mother.

The life sentence was secured through the work of an investigative officer attached to the Mangaung Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit.