Johannesburg – A 37-year old man from Springs was sentenced by Springs Regional Court, to life imprisonment for raping a six-year-old boy.
On 6 April 2017,while the minor and his friends were playing soccer at a church in Duduza, they went into a shack where the accused was reading his religious book and he read for them .
The other children later left to go play outside leaving the minor in the shack with the accused.
The accused took the child to the other room and raped him from the back.
When the minor got home that afternoon, he told his mother about what had happened.
The mother called the police.
The man was arrested later that night after the minor identified him and has been in detention since.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge of rape, but during cross examination confirmed that he did rape the child.
The prosecutor, Advocate Adele Erasmus, emphasised that the traumatic effects of sexual abuse are arguably the most complex and pervasive in terms of impact in a child’s life.
Therefore, life imprisonment would be the only suitable sentence as there were no substantial or compelling circumstances present favouring any form of a lesser sentence.
The National Prosecuting Authority said that they welcomed the sentence.
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