The Gqeberha regional court sentenced a 30-year-old man and his 22-year-old brother to life in prison and 10 years in prison, respectively, for the rape of their young cousin.
The siblings committed the crime in 2014 in their shared house in Soweto on Sea, near Gqeberha.
The convicted rapists cannot be identified because the victim’s last name is the same as that of her maternal aunt.
The victim wrote about the incident in her diary, which her younger sister discovered in 2018 while she was playing with old books at home, according to information presented in court on Monday.
Sexually assaulted at her aunt’s home
The victim disclosed that she had been sexually assaulted by the perpetrators when she was seven years old when the diary was presented to her mother.
The brothers were taken into custody after the victim’s mother informed the police about the incident.
The victim, whose testimony was led by state prosecutor Wonga Jita, stated that she would visit her aunt’s home, where one of the brothers resided, after school.
The 30-year-old repeatedly sexually assaulted her whenever her aunt was not present.
The first offender told his 22-year-old brother to rape the victim when he came to the house once, and he did.
The victim’s mother provided more proof, describing her clashes with the brothers and their relatives.
Additionally, a medical report confirmed the potential for penetration.
Psychological and emotional trauma
According to a victim impact statement compiled by court preparation officer Eric Blouw, the complainant has experienced severe psychological and emotional trauma as a result of the assault.
The younger brother, who was a minor at the time, received a 10-year prison sentence, while the older brother, who was an adult at the time of the offence, received a life sentence.
The victim was taken to the Thuthuzela Care Centre, where she received medical and psychological care, after the court ordered that the brothers’ names be added to the register of sexual offenders.
Barry Madolo, the Eastern Cape’s director of public prosecutions for the National Prosecuting Authority, praised the court’s decision.
Madolo stated that the sentence sends a clear message that such crimes will not be tolerated and that the justice system will hold perpetrators accountable.
