Three men receive maximum sentences for raping their stepdaughters

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) this week secured life sentences for three men found guilty of raping young girls in their care.

The three men, all in their forties, were convicted in separate cases in Sasolburg, eMalehleni and KwaMashu.

The verdicts represent a small victory as third quarter crime statistics presented by Police Minister Bheki Cele showed 12,211 rapes were reported between October and December 2023.

Life imprisonment for 45-year-old in the Free State

The Sasolburg regional court sentenced a 45-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping his 13-year-old stepdaughter.

The incident took place in 2021 when the child reported to the police that he had been raped by the man who lived in the same house.

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“The prosecutor argued that by raping the victim, the defendant betrayed the people he was supposed to protect. He not only betrayed the child by raping him but also denied his innocence,” said Mojalefa Senokoatsane, regional spokesperson for the NPA Free State.

Two life sentences for raping stepdaughters

A 46-year-old man was sentenced to two life sentences for two counts of rape in the eMalahleni Regional Court.

The first incident occurred in 2022 when the victims’ mother was away. The second case occurred in September 2023 after the man had an argument with his wife.

The woman had locked herself in her bedroom, but later that evening her husband was caught raping their daughter. The man immediately turned himself in to the police.

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Explaining Judge JJ Combrink’s ruling, NPA Mpumalanga regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said: “He found no material and compelling circumstances that could deviate from a sentence imposed. The defendant was sentenced to two life sentences.”

The victim was chased while the mother was at work

The Ntuzuma Regional Court sentenced a 46-year-old man to life imprisonment for repeatedly raping his stepdaughter between 2019 and 2022 in Inanda.

Threats from the man forced the girl to keep quiet about the torment she endured while her mother worked the night shift.

The victim’s mother noticed that her daughter was showing signs of pregnancy. The girl then told her how the stepfather had used medication to help force a miscarriage.

The man had also confessed to an acquaintance and the information led to his arrest.

“In her statement, the girl said the ordeal had left her confused, angry and upset. She said the accused robbed her of her childhood,” NPA KZN regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said.

Rape compared to last quarter

Minister Cele stated back in February that rape cases across the country had fallen by 1.7%.

He added that between October and December 2023, 4,783 suspects were arrested for crimes related to sexual crimes such as rape and attempted rape.

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He reiterated their commitment to solving gender-based crimes and concluded:

“Most encouragingly, Inanda, historically known as the rape capital of the country, has also seen a slight decline in the number of rape cases, down 20 cases compared to the same reporting period.”