A man convicted of raping his 14-year-old niece has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
This comes a week after a 68-year-old man was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for the rape of his 16-year-old granddaughter and five years for each of the two sexual assault charges he was convicted of. Magistrate B Tyutu ordered the sentences should run concurrently, meaning the elderly man will serve 15 years in prison.
The 28-year-old convicted man, who cannot be identified to protect the victim’s identity, was sentenced for rape last week.
The man, who had been in custody since his arrest in March 2021, reportedly lured his victim to a shack, where he forced her onto the bed and raped her. He also allegedly threatened her not to tell anyone of what occurred. The court also heard that he took her to town afterwards in an attempt to calm her.
He denied the crime during cross-examination by state prosecutor Harold Engelbrecht. Arguing for a harsher sentence, Engelbrecht stated the accused had broken his niece’s trust and impaired her dignity and did not deserve to be part of society.
Captain Buks Hanekom, commander of the Hermanus family violence, child protection and sexual crimes (FCS) unit, welcomed the sentence.
He thanked the prosecutor and Sgt Martin Mtholo, the investigating officer, for their hard work and dedication to ensuring a hefty sentence.
Mtholo was also the investigating officer in the case of the grandfather who was sentenced to 15 years for the rape and sexual assault of his granddaughter.
“We are satisfied with the heavy sentence and believe it will send out a strong message that perpetrators will not get off lightly for rape, especially where children are involved,” said Hanekom.
