A father has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Galeshewe Regional Court sitting in Kimberley after being convicted of brutally assaulting and raping his former girlfriend.
A FATHER has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Galeshewe Regional Court sitting in Kimberley after being convicted of brutally assaulting and raping his former girlfriend.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the couple shared two children.
“The accused was found guilty on three counts of contravening a protection order, where there was a history of abuse,” said Senokoatsane.
He said that on June 28, 2022, the accused choked and assaulted the complainant until she bled.
“The accused proceeded to rape the victim more than four times that evening.”
Senokoatsane said that during the trial, the court preparation officer, Thandi Diphae, detailed how the accused had physically and emotionally abused the complainant.
“The court was advised how she continues to fear for her life. The State advocate Shareen Links argued that throughout the lengthy trial, the accused showed no remorse for his actions, where he had contravened the protection order on numerous occasions. The accused raped and abused the mother of his children. The prosecutor stated that the accused did not provide any substantial and compelling circumstances to justify the court to deviate from the minimum sentence in respect of the count of rape.”
He added that advocate Links reminded the court that perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide needed to be given a clear warning as rape is a prevalent offence in the jurisdiction of the court.
“The accused was sentenced to one year of direct imprisonment for each count of contravening the protection order and life imprisonment for rape.
“The NPA applauds the prosecution team for ensuring that a dangerous criminal was removed from society, particularly during the commemoration of the 16-Days of Activism Against the Abuse of Women and Children,” Senokoatsane concluded.
