A Northern Cape teacher who repeatedly raped his 16-year-old niece was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment by the Mothibistad Regional Court.
A NORTHERN Cape teacher who repeatedly raped his 16-year-old niece was sentenced to 18 years’ imprisonment by the Mothibistad Regional Court.
The uncle was found guilty of raping the girl while he was living at the school hostel in Mothibistad together with her, his wife and baby daughter at the time.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the girl was warned to keep quiet about the rapes, despite falling pregnant.
He said that during sentencing it was determined that the girl had been raped at least 15 times during the period 1992 to 1995.
He added that the accused was 32 years old at the time of the commission of the offences in February 1992.
“Hie niece was woken in her bedroom on February 1992 when the accused covered her face with a pillow and raped her. The accused took advantage of the complainant on numerous occasions when his wife was not at home, where he would rape her in the same manner,” said Senokoatsane.
“The accused would also on occasion make up excuses as to why the victim needed to accompany him and would rape her at the building site of his new home.”
Senokoatsane said the girl later fell pregnant.
“From the rapes, a child was born in 1995. After that various family meetings were held, where the victim was urged to keep the ‘family secrets’ and not to tell anyone of the rapes, as it would prejudice the accused and his wife’s careers.”
He added that the complainant decided to report the rapes to the police in 2017.
“After intensive and rigorous investigations by the police, the accused was arrested. During the trial, the court heard how the accused, during one of the rape incidents, had told the victim to ‘keep her little mouth shut’ about the rapes.
“He would threaten her and warned that he would ‘pray very hard and that she would be killed by God’ if she dared to tell anyone. He also urged the girl to read Proverbs 4:4, so that she would obey her elders or face the wrath of God.”
Senokoatsane said the State prosecutor, Bernice Bronkhorst, highlighted the irreparable psychological harm that was suffered by the girl.
“She argued that the accused’s age of 64 years was not a factor that should grant him any leniency, where he should be given the maximum sentence applicable.”
The NPA welcomed the sentence handed down by the court and commended the prosecution team and the police, saying that justice was served even though the crimes were committed 30 years ago.
“The NPA is confident that the sentence will send a clear message to perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide that justice does not have an expiry date,” Senokoatsane said.
