Durban – A 65-year-old man was sentenced to an effective 23-year term of imprisonment by the The Ntuzuma Regional Court for the rape and sexual assault of an eight-year-old child in the Amatikwe area of Ntuzuma in Durban.
The man was the manager at the building in which the girl and her family lived. He has not been named to protect the identity of the child.
“From some time in 2019 until October 2020, the man would call the child into his office under the pretence of giving her sweets. There he sexually assaulted her and raped her on one occasion,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.
According to the NPA, after the victim’s mother saw her coming out of the accused’s office and asked her why she was in there, the child eventually disclosed the incidents to her.
“The child was taken to the Phoenix Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) where she received the necessary psycho-social services, counselling and support. The man was arrested immediately,” she said.
During the court proceedings, Ramkisson-Kara said State advocate, Naushaad Harripersadh led the evidence of the child, her mother and a medical doctor.
Harripersadh also handed in a Victim Impact Statement compiled by the child, and facilitated by court preparation officer, Senziwe Mthethwa, she said.
“In her statement the child said they had to move to another home following the incident. She also said that her peers made fun of her and blamed her for what had happened,” said the NPA.
Ramkisson-Kara said during sentencing, the man was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for rape and 8 years’ imprisonment for sexual assault.
“The court deviated from the minimum sentence of life imprisonment for rape, saying that the man is elderly. However, the court ruled that the sentences run consecutively, thus resulting in an effective sentence of 23 years’ imprisonment,” she said.
The NPA said a further court ruling was that the accused’s name be included in the National Register for Sex Offenders and the National Child Protection Register of people who are unsuitable to work with children. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
“The man made an application for leave to appeal his sentence, which was opposed by the State. The court refused his application,” said Ramkisson-Kara.