Durban — A father who raped his daughter in front of her younger sibling was handed a life sentence for the crime.
KwaZulu-Natal National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the Richards Bay Regional Court sentenced a 37-year-old man to a term of life imprisonment for the repeated rape of his 11-year-old biological daughter between March and December 2022.
The rapes occurred in the Esikhaleni area of northern KZN, where the father frequently assaulted his daughter in front of her younger sibling.
The matter was revealed when the daughter wrote a letter to her neighbour. The neighbour then reported the incident to the daughter’s family, the police were contacted, and the man was arrested.
The daughter was taken to the Ngwelezane Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for medical and psycho-social assistance.
Ramkisson-Kara said that in court, Prosecutor Sikhumbuzo Thabo Simelane led the testimonies of the complainant, the complainant’s aunt, and the first report. The doctor’s evidence and contents of J88 form also formed part of the state’s case.
Simelane also submitted victim impact statements by the daughter and her mother and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Mandisa Sikhakhane.
In her statement, the daughter said her father ruined her life and she is happy he is in jail. Her mother said their lives have changed forever and her daughter has been mentally and physically affected by the incident.
“The man was sentenced to life imprisonment, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm. The court also ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders,” Ramkisson-Kara stated.
Meanwhile, in a similar matter, the Eshowe Regional Court has sentenced a 53-year-old man to a life term for the rape of his 14-year-old biological daughter in October 2020 in the Njomelwane area, northern KZN.
He was declared unfit to possess a firearm. The court also ordered his name be listed on the National Register for Sex Offenders.
Ramkisson-Kara said the rapes happened during the Covid-19 pandemic when schoolchildren were not attending school daily.
She said that on the day of the incident, the man and the victim were home alone and he asked her to cook him food.
He then sent her to his bedroom and there he pushed her onto the bed and raped her once. Before leaving home, he threatened her not to tell her mother what had happened.
The victim wrote a letter about her father’s actions and dropped the letter at the Induna’s home before going to a friend’s house. The Induna then told the victim’s family what was written in the letter and the matter was reported to the police. The man was arrested a month later after fleeing the area.
Ramkisson-Kara said that in court, Prosecutor Kacey Pillay handed in victim impact statements by the victim.
In her statement, the victim said the trauma inflicted on her by the incident will stay with her forever. She said she could not understand how her father could have done that to her.
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