A Western Cape man was sentenced to 25 years direct imprisonment by the Worcester Regional Court for r-ping his foster sister.
After pleading guilty, the 31-year-old guy from De Doorns was eventually convicted of r-ping the mentally challenged 11-year-old.
State prosecutor Amisha Ratanjie presented the facts to the court, claiming that on the evening of April 30, 2019, the victim was sleeping when her foster brother moved her from one bed to another. Even though she awoke, he undressed her and r-ped her. Her mother awoke during the encounter and saw him leave her daughter’s bed. The incident was reported to authorities, and DNA evidence connected him to the crime.
The State also filed various documents with the court, including the victim’s birth certificate, a Cape Mental Health report, a pre-sentence report, and a victim impact report.
Ratanjie addressed the court and encouraged it to impose a life sentence, emphasizing that the r-pist had a responsibility to protect the victim, with whom he had grown up as siblings.
The court heard that he was fully aware of her age and mental condition, and that his acts breached her confidence.
Ratanjie stated that protecting the interests of young and vulnerable individuals is vital, and that in this case, life imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence.
Magistrate Abigail Juries sentenced him to 25 years in jail, with five years suspended under the condition that he not be convicted of r-pe or attempted r-pe during the suspension period.
In her remarks, Juries stated that the only positive feature for the accused was that he was a first-time offender and that he had been in detention for over five years. She determined that he did not appreciate the consequences of his acts, demanding life skills training in prison.
In addition to his prison sentence, the r-pist has been barred from working with children, and his name has been added to the National Register of S-x Offenders, barring him from any employment roles that involve vulnerable persons, including children.
The court ordered that he receive life skills training in order to understand the serious consequences of his conduct on the victim and her family. The court also ordered that the victim be notified when the offender is considered for parole.
