FORMER LOVER SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR RAPING MOTHER OF HIS KIDS
Kimberley-South Africa The Galeshewe Regional Court sitting in Kimberley has sentenced a 30-year-old man who cannot be named to protect the victim, to life imprisonment after the court found him guilty of rape read with provisions of section 51(1) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 105 of 1997. He is accused of having raped his 30-year-old former girlfriend and the mother of his children. He was also found guilty on three counts of the Contravention of the Protection Order. The accused was facing one count of rape and three counts of the Contravention of Protection Order.
On 28 June 2022, the accused who had Protection Order against his name, forced the victim to where he stayed. The accused who had a history of abusing the victim and contravening the Protection Order against him, assaulted the mother of his children until she bled. He continued to assault even choking her. The Accused then proceeded to rape the victim more than 4 times that evening. The victim later reported the matter to the police and the accused was arrested and charged.
During the trial, the state made use of a Victim Impact Report compiled by Court Preparation Officer Thandi Diphae. The Victim Impact Statement detailed how the victim had been abused by the accused physically and emotionally and that she feared for her life and still does.
Regional Court Prosecutor Advocate Shareen Links, argued that throughout the lengthy trial, the accused showed no remorse for his actions. The accused Raped and abused the mother of his children. The prosecutor further argued that the accused did prove or place any Substantial and Compelling circumstances on record for the court to deviate from the minimum sentence in respect of the count of rape and that the court should sentence the accused to life imprisonment.
In aggravation of the sentence, Advocate Links put it to the court that it was not debatable how rape had become prevalent in the jurisdiction of the court and that a clear message had to be sent to perpetrators of GBV&F. When sentencing the accused, the court agreed with the State in that indeed the accused showed no remorse. The court found that the testimony of the victim could be accepted as reliable, as the victim truthfully relayed the said events. The accused had little respect for the law, as he had already contravened the protection order against him numerous times. The court sentenced the accused as follows:- 1 year of direct imprisonment for each count of Contravention of the Protection Orde and life Imprisonment for raping the victim.
The National Prosecuting Authority applauds the work of the prosecution team, that ensured that another dangerous criminal was removed from society, particularly during the commemoration of the 16-Days of Activism Awareness Campaign Against the Abuse of Women and Children.
