The victim broke her silence 21 years after being sexually assaulted and raped by her father.
A 61-YEAR-old Galeshewe father was sentenced to 12 years’ direct imprisonment and a further four years for the rape and sexual assault of his daughter in 1998.
Police spokesperson Captain Sergio Kock said the complainant was only 15 years old at the time of the incident.
“The police welcome the sentence that was handed down to a 61-year-old father for raping his biological daughter, who was 15 years old at the time of the sexual assault. The accused sexually assaulted and raped his daughter at their home in Kagisho on December 12, 1998. The victim broke her silence 21 years later and the accused was arrested on January 3, 2020,” said Kock.
Kock said the accused was sentenced in the Galeshewe Magistrate’s Court on August 24, 2021.
He added that the investigation officer was commended for the sterling investigative work that she did two decades after the crime was committed.
“The commander of the SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit in Galeshewe, Lieutenant-Colonel Marli Strydom, applauded Detective Sergeant Aretha Claasen for her superb investigation and determination to see that no impunity is granted to perpetrators of such heinous crimes. No stone was left unturned and Claasen’s dedication ensured that this message can be relayed during Women’s Month as a deterrent to those planning to perpetrate such criminal acts,” Kock said.
