The Kimberley Regional Court sentenced a 20-year-old man to 20 years behind bars for the rape of a nine-year-old girl.
THE KIMBERLEY Regional Court sentenced 20-year-old Lesley Meintjies to 20 years in prison for the rape of a nine-year-old girl on December 3, 2019.
The provincial commissioner of the SAPS in the Northern Cape, Lieutenant-General Koliswa Otola, and her management team have welcomed the sentence.
According to provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Timothy Sam, the court heard that the victim’s mother had sent Meintjies home to switch off the stove while she was at work. Instead, Meintjies entered the girl’s room while she was asleep and raped her.
The victim screamed, prompting the accused to flee the room and return to the victim’s mother at her workplace.
The victim later informed her mother about the incident, which was reported to the police. The accused was subsequently arrested and charged with rape.
Meintjies was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and his name will be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
In a separate case, the same court sentenced 19-year-old Layton Tyreeq Jood to eight years in prison, with four years suspended for five years, for the rape of a nine-year-old boy on October 6, 2019. The crime occurred at the victim’s friend’s house in Kimberley.
Lieutenant-General Otola praised the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Juanita Lakey, for her diligent work in both cases, emphasising the importance of protecting children’s rights and enhancing the investigative capabilities of the police. “These convictions are a testament to our commitment to justice and the safety of our children,” she stated.
