Johannesburg – The Pretoria North Regional Court sentenced a couple from Doornpoort, a 39-year-old man and 33-year-old woman, to two life terms and 22 years imprisonment each for various sexual offences, abuse of their own two children, and drug possession.
The couple was found guilty of rape, compelled rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming, flashing, child neglect and possession of drugs.
These sexual abuse offences were committed on their own children, a five-year-old girl and an eight-year-old boy in 2014.
The parents performed gory sexual acts on the children, made the children commit sexual acts to them as parents, to each other as children and forced the children to watch them while engaging in sex.
The mother would teach the daughter by showing her how to perform sexual acts on her father.
The children were found by the Community Policing Forum (CPF) at a near-by park, looking dirty, scared and hungry in August 2014. The CPF took them to the police station where they told the police where their home was. Upon arrival the police found drugs and the couple was arrested for child neglect and possession of drugs.
Other charges relating to rape and sexual offences were added later after the children revealed further information of what had happened to them whilst placed at a place of safety. A facility provided by the Department of Social Development.
The parents pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, Hanlie du Preez, said it was sad that children are not protected by their parents and are not safe in their homes. The couple did not deserve to be parents therefore the prescribed sentence had to be imposed.
The NPA said that it welcomes the sentence.
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