The former mayor of Newcastle has been found guilty of incitement to commit common assault. Photo: Pixabay
NPA: Father sentenced to life imprisonment for raping 12-year-old daughter
The court heard from the victim that she had loved and worshipped her father and he used her as an object of lust and took away her innocence.
The former mayor of Newcastle has been found guilty of incitement to commit common assault. Photo: Pixabay
A 45-year-old man was sentenced to a life term and 10 years imprisonment for the rape of his then-12-year-old daughter in 2017 by the Verulam Regional Court this week. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the incident took place in Ndwedwe, KwaZulu-Natal.
NPA WELCOMES SENTENCING OF RAPIST FATHER
NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the victim initially lived with her grandmother until her father insisted that she move in with him when she was 12 years old in February 2017.
“From then on, he raped and sexually assaulted her on diverse occasions, sometimes using a firearm to threaten her into submission,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
The man reportedly told his daughter that the ancestors had chosen her to have sex with him. He also threatened to kill her if she reported him, according to the NPA.
The man was arrested after the victim told her teacher about the rape.
SIX WITNESS TESTIMONIES
The court heard six witness testimonies, including one from the victim. A Victim Impact Statement was submitted to the court by Regional Court Prosecutor Ishara Sewnarayan.
The victim wrote the statement herself, with assistance from the Court Preparation Officer Bongiwe Qwabe.
She said that the experience has scarred her for life and now suffers from worry and constant feelings of anxiousness.
She said she had loved and worshipped her father and he used her as an object of lust and took away her innocence.
The man, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the victim, was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and an additional five years imprisonment each for sexual assault and pointing a firearm.
“The court deemed him unfit to possess a firearm and ruled that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders,” said the NPA spokesperson.
