Phethe Sara Simiao, a 25-year-old Mozambican national, was sentenced to two life terms on Monday by the Johannesburg High Court for the abduction, rape, and murder of six-year-old Amantle Samane.
The sentencing, delivered by presiding Judge William Karam, follows Simiao’s arrest 10 months ago.
The courtroom, filled to capacity with community members, gender-based violence activists, and the victim’s family, heard a scathing judgment as Karam condemned the brutality of Simiao’s actions.
“The viciousness of Simiao’s actions rules out any immaturity, as he was 24 years old at the time the crimes were committed,” Karam stated, dismissing any claims of youthful indiscretion.
Simiao had pleaded for leniency, expressing regret and apologising during his plea.
No evidence of remorse
However, Karam found no evidence of genuine remorse, highlighting that Simiao did not testify in court.
“His failure to testify leaves many questions, like how long was the minor kept hostage before he raped her, how long after the rape did he murder her, and how long did the rape endure?” Karam said.
The court heard that Simiao fled the scene after committing the crimes and showed no initiative to turn himself in.
“There is no evidence that the accused handed himself over to the police. There is further no evidence that upon his arrest he admitted that he committed the crime; he instead pleaded not guilty.”
In a statement before delivering the sentence, Karam described the harrowing ordeal faced by the young victim.
“The victim was a defenceless minor; one can imagine her terror at first being abducted, her confusion when her clothes were taken off, and her pain with having an erect penis penetrate her vagina. The accused satisfied his perverted self on a child,” he said.
Danger to society
Karam addressed the broader societal context, stating that society has grown weary of the alarming frequency of child rape. “The accused is clearly a danger to society,” the judge said.
Simiao was sentenced to two years for kidnapping, a life term for rape, a life term for murder, and an additional two years for contravening the Immigration Act.
“The sentences will run concurrently with the life terms,” Karam said.
The National Prosecuting Authority [NPA] has welcomed the sentence. NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the accused was feeling sorry for himself rather than remorse for the crime.
“We are happy with the sentence as the NPA, and we continue with our resilience in the fight against violent crimes, especially those against vulnerable groups.”
