A 43-year-old Northern Cape man was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Warrenton Regional Court after he was found guilty of repeatedly raping a 12-year-old girl while keeping the child at his house for two days.
A 43-YEAR-old man, David Sebaile, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Warrenton Regional Court after he was found guilty of repeatedly raping a 12-year-old girl while keeping the child at his house for two days.
The Director of Public Prosecution in the Northern Cape has welcomed the sentence.
The provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mojalefa Senokoatsane, said the incident took place in 2019.
“On November 27, 2019, the accused accosted the child while she was playing with her friends near her home in Warrenton. On the second day, November 28, 2019, the accused continued to rape the child again while keeping the child at his house,” said Senokoatsane.
“The victim was missing for two days and was later found by her sister. The sister found the complainant playing with her friends and she was wearing adult male clothing. The sister enquired about the complainant’s whereabouts and the clothes she was wearing at the time. The complainant detailed her story and pointed out the accused. The matter was reported to the police and the police members promptly activated their Sexual Offences Investigations unit. The accused was arrested the same day and charged with rape.”
Senokoatsane applauded the State for securing the life imprisonment sentence.
“During the mitigating and aggravating sentencing arguments, the State, represented by advocate Belinda Thomas, argued that it was important that the accused be sentenced to life imprisonment, given the seriousness of the charges against him. The prosecutor further emphasised that a life imprisonment sentence sends the message that the courts are serious about the scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) within communities,” he said.
Advocate Thomas said she hoped that the sentence would bring some solace to the complainant and her family.
“I am pleased with the sentence. Women and children form part of the vulnerable members of society and need to be not only protected but also respected. This incident traumatised a little girl. I am glad that justice has been served,” said Thomas.
“What was also disturbing (about the case) was that it was revealed during the investigations and court proceedings that the accused worked with children. People who work with children are trusted that they will not harm children.
“Also, this was the little girl’s first sexual encounter and she was violated by an adult man. The social workers also stated that the child showcased shame after the incident. Social workers stated that they had difficulty consulting with the complainant as she would fiddle with her hands and would speak in a lowered voice. It was evident that this incident had traumatised her and she would need much counselling as a result of the actions of the accused.
“This sentence will send a stern message to perpetrators that their actions will not be tolerated by the court of law,” Thomas concluded.
