A former Kimberley SAPS Tactical Response Team constable was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Galeshewe Regional Court this week for raping his daughter.
A FORMER Kimberley Tactical Response Team (TRT) constable was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Galeshewe Regional Court this week after he was convicted of raping his biological daughter.
The child was 10 years old at the time of the incident, and the accused denied the charges that were levelled against him.
Magistrate Benjamin September pointed out that while the accused had no previous convictions or history of violence, it remained his duty to protect his child.
“The accused was a police officer who was employed to protect society at large. He was supposed to guard his daughter against all evils. The child unsuccessfully reached out to the accused’s wife for help. She was heavily intoxicated at the time as she was unable to wake up after the accused fell on top of her.”
He pointed out that sexual offences that occurred among family members were often concealed and went unpunished.
“The defence argued that the accused was not a ‘monster’ who continually abused his child. However, if he was not stopped, it was likely that he would continue for years to come. The child will be traumatised for the rest of her life for a dehumanising act that was not of her own doing.”
He noted that during the trial, the legal representative for the accused, advocate Marcus Mafaro, argued that it was unclear whether the child suffered “tremendous psychological and physical injuries” where her father’s incarceration would not “alleviate her suffering”.
“A letter he wrote to his child stated that he was ‘apologetic’ over what happened while it had resulted in an ‘emotional ride’ for the accused and the family.”
He indicated that the child had expressed sadness over her ordeal and had questioned why it had happened, as she previously shared a close bond with the accused.
September was unconvinced that alcohol had contributed to the accused’s actions.
“The child testified that while her father’s speech was slurred, he did not appear to be drunk at the time of the incident. The accused was sober enough to distinguish between right and wrong. He initially testified that he was not that intoxicated but later claimed that alcohol was to blame for what happened during sentencing procedures.”
September pointed out that the charges were very serious, where the dignity, integrity and privacy of the child had been violated.
“Rape is a scourge and cancer that threatens to destroy the social fabric of society. The public is outraged at this crisis that has reached epidemic proportions and will take the law into their own hands if the courts fail to mete out harsh sentences for these crimes. Children need to feel safe in their own homes.”
He was unable to identify any substantial or compelling circumstances that would permit him to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
“The accused is unfit to possess a firearm. His name will be entered into the national sexual offences register. He is also prohibited from working with children.”
Tearful family members declined to comment.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesperson Lizzy Shuping welcomed the sentence and indicated that the accused was dismissed from his job during the trial.
“The 39-year-old police constable, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the complainant, raped his daughter at their home in Kimberley on July 3, 2023.
“The following morning, the complainant informed her grandmother of what happened and the case was reported to the police. Ipid took over the case for investigation,” she added.
