A 58-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Upington Regional Court for the brutal rape and assault of a 17-year-old girl.
A 58-YEAR old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Upington Regional Court for the rape and assault of a 17-year-old girl.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said on Wednesday that the accused, Hendrik Stevens, was convicted on two charges of rape as well as assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm and sexual assault.
“The incident took place on the evening of December 29, 2018, in Augrabies. The accused approached the 17-year-old girl and her friends while they were walking in the street. Stevens grabbed the 17-year-old complainant and started assaulting her. He was armed with a knife and threatened to kill her. Her friends ran off to seek help, while Stevens dragged the complainant to a nearby workers’ compound where he forcefully raped and sexually assaulted her,” said Senokoatsane.
He added that after raping the girl, Stevens took her to the home of his friend.
“The complainant borrowed the phone of this friend, went to hide in the bathroom and contacted her friend. She was then rescued by a family member. The matter was reported to the police and the accused was traced and arrested three days after the incident.”
Senokoatsane stated that during the trial, the prosecutor led forensic evidence in respect of the DNA of the accused. “This undisputed evidence gave overriding corroboration to the evidence of the complainant, whose version was also supported materially by the other witnesses. The prosecutor exposed the lies of the accused, who pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.”
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the Northern Cape, advocate Livingston Mzukisi Sakata, believed that the conviction and sentence confirmed the commitment of the NPA in the fight against gender-based violence and to ensuring that people can “live in freedom and security”.