Justice has been served for a KwaZulu-Natal teenager who was repeatedly raped by her father when she was just 12 years old.
The Empangeni Regional Court sentenced the 39-year-old man to life imprisonment for the rape on diverse occasions of his biological daughter in December 2020 in the Ndabayakhe area.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the accused and the complainant’s mother were separated and did not live together.
She said in December 2020, the complainant and her brother went to visit the accused at his home. He was married and had two other children.
“At night, the complainant slept on a bed while her brother slept on a sponge on the floor, and the accused would go into the room and rape her. When she attempted to scream for help, he would close her mouth and continue to rape her,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
According to Ramkisson-Kara, the accused threatened to kill his daughter, son, and their mother if she reported him to anyone.
“The complainant returned home and eventually confided in her cousin, who then told the complainant’s mother,” she said.
The NPA said the matter was reported to the police, and the accused was arrested. The complainant was taken to the Thuthuzela Care Centre located at Ngwelezane for the necessary assistance.
In court, prosecutor Edwina Du Plessis handed in Victim Impact Statements compiled by the complainant and her mother, facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Seneliso Sibanda.
“In her statement, the complainant said that she used to be a happy person; however, since the incident, she has become grumpy, aggressive, and ill-tempered. She said that she always thought a father was meant to be loving and protective of his children and not abuse them.”
The complainant’s mother stated that the incident has affected their entire family, describing the accused’s actions as disgusting and evil.
Ramkisson-Kara said in addition to the life sentence, the accused was declared unfit to possess a firearm, and the court ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
“Curbing the scourge of gender-based violence and sexual offences is an organisational priority for the NPA. Together with our partners in the Justice Cluster, we are mandated to fight for justice on behalf of the victims of crime, moreover, the most vulnerable ones,” concluded Ramkisson-Kara.
