CHILD RAPIST SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
The Tsakane Regional Court sentenced Vusi Elias Khoza (35) to life imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old girl. The court ordered that he be declared unfit to possess a firearm and that his name should be added to the national register for sexual offenders.
On 21 October 2015, the child was playing soccer with her friends in an open veld in Langaville, Tsakane. As they were playing, Khoza went to them and accused them of stealing his soccer poles and chased them away. While running, the victim fell and Khoza managed to apprehend her and set on her legs. The child apologized for the stolen poles however Khoza did not let go. He then dragged her to the bushes next to the veld where he undressed and raped her. Thereafter, he told her he would kill her if she ever told anyone about the rape. When the child got home and could not walk properly. The mother enquired, and the child told her what had happened. The mother reported the matter to the police and the man was arrested three days after the incident on 24 October 2015.
In court he pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied raping the child, however, the state called witnesses and adduced evidence which proved that indeed Khoza raped the child. During the sentencing proceeding through his attorney Khoza asked the court to deviate from imposing the prescribed sentence and impose a sentence of correctional supervision. However, the state prosecutor Thulwana Jessica Khakhathiba argued that there were no compelling and substantial circumstances which warranted the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum force, Khoza did not take responsibility for his actions and showed no remorse. Khakhathiba argued further that not sending Khoza to direct imprisonment would be sending a wrong message to society.
She also handed in the Victim Impact Statements (VIS) facilitated by the Court Preparation Office Nothando Mbatha where the child wrote about how the incident affected her. In the VIS, the child said she is now scared of men. When handing down the sentence magistrate Makamu agreed with the state that Khoza showed no remorse nor regret. Furthermore, the magistrate said the seriousness of the offence far outweighed Khoza’s circumstances, therefore, the sentence given was appropriate.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Sibongile Mzinyathi, welcomes the sentence handed down to a child rapist and hopes that the sentence will send a message to rapists wanna-be, that the NPA takes crimes of sexual offences seriously. The DPP also wants to applaud the great work of the investigating officer Surgent Fikile Zitha and the prosecutor.
