Man who strangled and raped minor sentenced to life imprisonment

A rapist and murderer who brutally strangled a minor because she resisted during the rape has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Mossel Bay Regional Court in the Western Cape.

On Tuesday, Johan Counter was found guilty of rape and murder and sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a 15-year-old girl.

Counter, who pleaded guilty, admitted that he met the young girl when he visited his nephew at Groot Sergfontein Farm on January 29, 2023. He was drinking with his nephew and his friends, including the victim.

The counter followed the victim outside

“She told him that she had a friend among those who were drinking with him, but she complied with his request. He claims that the influence of alcohol had affected them and they were drunk,” said the regional spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Eric Ntabazalila.

Around midnight, the victim left the house where they were drinking and Counter followed her. He told the teenager they should find a place to have sex, but she refused.

Counter then violently grabbed the victim and pushed him into a secluded area next to a water tank.

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“She tried to resist, but he overpowered her, pulled down her pants and raped her. She tried to scream, but he put his hands around her neck and strangled her while he continued to rape her,” Ntabazalila said.

When the rapist and murderer noticed that the victim was no longer resisting, he pulled her body into a sitting position, but she slid to the side. Even when he called her name, the victim did not respond.

Counter did not want the victim’s screams to be heard

In his statement, Counter admitted he knew he could kill her if he strangled her, but he didn’t want the other people in the house to hear her screams. “He accepted the outcome,” Ntabazalila said.

Counter then went back inside but didn’t tell anyone what he had done.

The victim’s body was finally discovered the next day, and when Counter’s nephew asked him if he had killed her, he could not give him an answer. The nephew and his friends called the owner of the farm, who called the police, and Counter was arrested.

“He admitted that although he drank alcohol, he was able to recognise the difference between good and evil and act accordingly. He knew that his actions were unlawful and that he could be convicted and punished for his conduct,” Ntabazalila said.

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The NPA welcomed Counter’s sentence. His name will be added to the National Sex Offenders Register.