A 43-year-old man from the Northern Cape received six life sentences for raping his biological daughter, as well as three years’ imprisonment for sexual assault.
Sgt Omphile Masegela, police spokesperson in the ZF Mgcawu District, said the verdict was made on 31 July in the Regional Court in Upington.
The raping of the daughter, who was aged 14 to 15 years during the first incident, started in September 2012 during the school holiday when she visited her paternal grandmother and father (the accused) in De Aar.
Due to limited space, the victim had to share a bed with her father. During the first night of the visit, she was raped for the first time.
Mojalefa Senokoatsane, regional spokesperson of the National Prosecution Agency (NPA), said the victim resisted, but her father threatened her, telling her that he had murdered four persons. This resulted in her fear that he might kill her as well.
During her visit, he raped her on numerous occasions, and also during family outings to Kimberley, Rustenburg, and Upington, Senokoatsane said.
The matter was reported to the police, and the accused was charged with six counts of rape and sexual assault.
DNA results confirmed that the accused was the father of the child who was born in September 2013.
During the trial the complainant had the assistance of court preparation officer (CPO), Monica Malo (retired) and Ashley Groenewald, who duly and thoroughly prepared the complainant for court, Senokoatsane said.
The state also applied successfully that the evidence of the complainant must be led through the services of an intermediary to protect her from secondary victimisation from the court environment, and also shielding her from unfair and daunting cross-examination.
During the pre-sentencing stage, the CPOs assisted the complainant with a victim impact statement, which were presented as evidence in aggravating the sentence.
Despite this strong case, the accused continued to deny the allegations, refuting all the evidence.
The accused eventually, during cross-examination, conceded to the evidence by the complainant and subsequently made formal admissions, confessing to the sexual abuse.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution in the Northern Cape (DPP), Livingstone Sakata, applauded the work done by the prosecution team in partnership with the investigating officers from the police. The DPP envisaged that such a sentence will send a clear message to perpetrators of serious crimes X that they will be arrested, charged, prosecuted, and sentenced for committing such heinous crimes.
The investigation was done by WO Thabisho Mashililishili and Sgt Elliot Gaya of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit in the ZF Mgcawu District.
The provincial commissioner of the Northern Cape, Lt. Gen. Koliswa Otola, welcomed this sentence, and added that “there is no place for perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide in our communities”.
