4 LIFE TERMS FOR RAPIST NEIGHBOUR
The Pietermaritzburg Regional Court has sentenced a 20-year-old man to four terms of life imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the rape of four boys aged between four and eight years old. One of them was his stepbrother. The incidents took place in May 2021 in the Imbali area outside of Pietermaritzburg. In his plea, the man mentioned that he had been suffering from depression following his break-up with his girlfriend. He said that he had initially considered suicide but decided to rape the boys instead. On the day of the incident, the children were playing outside his house when he called them individually into his room and raped them.
The matter came to light when his stepbrother reported the rape to their father. Their father then approached the parents of the other boys and they all went to the Edendale Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) where the matter was reported. At the TCC, the children received psycho-social intervention as well as holistic medico-legal assistance. The man was then pointed out to the police and arrested.
He remained in custody and the matter was proceeding to trial when he decided to plead guilty. In aggravation of sentence, Regional Court Prosecutor Yashania Manickum told the court that the man’s actions proved that he is danger to society; and at such a young and impressionable age, the boys have learnt to distrust elders. Manickum also submitted a Victim Impact Statement (VIS) compiled by one of the children and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Thobekile Babongile Chuene. In his statement the boy said that he does not understand why the man had raped him. He said that he wished for the court to punish the man so that he will not do this to anyone else.
In sentencing the man, the court also deemed him unfit to possess a firearm and ordered that his name must be entered in the National Register for Sex Offenders.
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the successful finalisation of this matter. We will continue to fight for justice for the victims of crime, especially the most vulnerable in society. We commend the work done by the prosecution and SAPS.
