Man receives two life sentences for raping his girlfriend’s underage child

A man who abused the hospitality and trust of his friends by raping one of their underage children in their home has been sentenced to two life sentences.

A 36-year-old man from Galeshewe in the Northern Cape has been sentenced to two life sentences by the Galeshewe Regional Court after being found guilty of two counts of rape.

The man is accused of raping a minor, then 11 years old, on May 1 and 2, 2022, while he was living with the victim’s family.

Friend of the family, known for years

Mojalefa Senokoatsane, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), said the man was a friend of the victim’s family and had known the family for years. The family considers him a member of the family.

“The accused, who was trusted by the family as he had helped raise the children, shared a bedroom with the children and slept on the floor because the space in the house was too small. The victim’s family trusted the accused a lot and felt sorry for him; he shared a room with the victim and her three other siblings,” Senokoatsane said.

“While staying with the family, the accused took advantage of the situation and started raping the victim on May 1, 2022. Both rape incidents occurred at the victim’s parental home while the rest of the family was sleeping in the same house,” Senokoatsane said.

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The child told his mother and stepfather what he had done to her. The man was then arrested.

Senokoatsane said the victim was taken for a medical examination, which confirmed her injuries and conducted DNA analysis.

Defendant was considered a “father figure”

During the trial, the victim testified about the impact the rape had on her life. In a victim impact statement, she and her mother detailed how the family viewed the defendant as a father figure and that he abused their hospitality and trust by attacking the child.

According to Senokoatsane, in his statement to the court, the accused denied ever sexually abusing the victim. However, a forensic pathologist and the prosecution lawyer, Shareen Theresa Links, argued that the evidence against the accused was overwhelming and that the victim was a very good witness, even though she was a minor and the only witness.

“The prosecution further argued that the court should sentence the accused to life imprisonment on both counts because he had shown no remorse and that a clear message needed to be sent to other perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide,” Senokoatsane said.

Name entered in the sex offenders register

At the verdict, the court found the defendant guilty of both counts of rape and sentenced him to two life sentences. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm and his name will be entered into the National Sex Offender Registry.

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“The National Prosecution Service believes that these judgments will bring justice and closure to victims and their families and will remove violent criminals from our streets,” Senokoatsane said.