A 54-year-old man from Madadeni in KwaZulu-Natal has found a new home in jail after he was sentenced to two life terms for the rape of his niece.
The accused, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his under-age niece, repeatedly raped the 11-year-old child in 2019 and 2020.
During sentencing at the Madadeni regional court on Tuesday, the court declared the accused unfit to carry a firearm and to work with children.
The rapes took place when other members of the family were not present. In the first incident, the accuse was caught in the act by the victim’s sister, after the child had gone outside to use a toilet.
The sister informed the mother and the accused apologised saying he was intoxicated. However, he forced himself on the child again in 2020. This time, the rape took place in the accused room.
The child informed her brother who alerted the mother. The girl was taken to the Thuthuzela Care Centre at the Madadeni Hospital, where she was observed and received social and medical assistance.
During the examination, the doctor confirmed that she had been raped. The medical practitioner also picked up that the child had been sexually violated previously, judging by the old scars.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in the region, said: “In court, the uncle pleaded not guilty, saying that the girl’s mother wanted him to move out of the homestead, and had thus told the child to implicate him.”
Khethiwe Kunene, the prosecutor, led the testimonies of the girl, her siblings, their mother, and the medical doctor. The state’s case was further enhanced by a victim impact statement.
Court preparation officer Masande Mdiya said in a statement: “The incident has left her with psychological, physical, and emotional scars. It has also caused division amongst her family members.
“The stigma that comes with being a rape victim has left her feeling unworthy and lacking in confidence amongst her peers.”
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
