Cape Town - SEX crimes cops are furious that a serial British paedophile got away with a five-year prison sentence when the Wolseley Regional Court this week found him guilty of sexually assaulting three girls between the ages of 11 and 14.
Former Riebeek-Kasteel restaurant owner Anthony Charles Purnell, 58, originally from London, was found guilty of grooming and sexually assaulting the three Tulbagh girls in the Kluitjieskraal bush area of Wolseley in 2016. He also received a suspended five-year jail sentence, effective for five years after his release.
“The sentence is shocking,” said source familiar with the investigation. “Especially for this type of crime and the ages of the victims.
“It’s not justice. Purnell will be out on parole in a few years and the victims and the families will struggle with the psychological damage for years, maybe even a lifetime. Children’s lives have been destroyed by this man.”
The source requested anonymity. So, too, did other sex crimes cops
commenting on the matter who said they worked tirelessly to bring paedophiles to book, only to see them released a few years later. “What makes it worse is that Purnell
sexually assaulted these children over a period of three years. And, during the investigation, detectives were tipped off that he was re-offending in
Riebeek Kasteel in the same way.”
Following two years of continual postponements, Purnell, the former owner of eatery Wicked Treats, did not stand trial. He was eventually
sentenced after entering a plea bargain agreement with the State and pleading guilty to all charges.
Purnell procured his victims using an HIV-positive pimp who participated in the grooming and assault for a R250 fee. The 24-year-old from Tulbagh
cannot be identified as it would
identify her sister’s 12-year-old
daughter, who was also sexually violated by Purnell in the pimp’s presence.
The pimp turned State witness and accordingly received a lesser, three-year correctional supervision sentence. In addition, she received a five-year jail sentence, suspended for five years.
Sources revealed that the investigating officer in the Purnell matter refused to sign the plea agreement because she could not accept his sentence. The agreement was finalised instead by her commanding officer after prosecutors “explained the
particular difficulties in the matter”.
“The case was very old and the children contradicted themselves over and over...” said the NPA.
“We
consulted thoroughly with the concerned children and their mothers for the agreement. They were happy and they voiced their approval for finalising the matter in the manner we did.”