The Pietermaritzburg High Court, sitting in Port Shepstone, has sentenced 57-year-old Rogers Perumah to two life terms behind bars for the brutal rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl in Umkomaas last year.
Perumah, who lived in the same neighbourhood as the child, was well known to her.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said on the afternoon of March 17, 2024, the girl accompanied him on a search for his missing pet dog, a dog that she was also fond of.
“When they got to a bushy area, Perumah raped the child. He then assaulted her all over her body and strangled her before fleeing the scene,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
Community members discovered the child’s body and apprehended Perumah the following day. He was handed over to the police.
During the trial, Advocate Mziwodumo Miza led compelling evidence that placed Perumah with the child moments before her death.
Witnesses testified to seeing the two walking in the direction where the body was later found. DNA evidence also linked Perumah to the crime.
The court heard a harrowing Victim Impact statement compiled by the child’s mother, facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Beaufort Shinga.
“Therein, the woman said that she has difficulty sleeping and has lost trust in people. She mentioned that the child was bubbly and energetic and was her everything,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
Perumah was handed life imprisonment for each count-rape and murder. His name will also be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
The court dismissed his application for leave to appeal against both the conviction and sentence.
Welcoming the judgment, Ramkisson-Kara said the ruling sent a strong message about the justice system’s commitment to protecting children.
“This sentence underscores the seriousness with which the justice system treats crimes against the most vulnerable members of our society,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
“The NPA remains resolute in its pursuit of justice for victims of gender-based violence and child abuse and will continue to ensure that perpetrators of such heinous crimes are removed from society and face the harshest possible consequences. Justice has been served, and the rights and dignity of our children protected.”
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