Durban — KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza has once again commended the justice cluster for its consistency in handling gender-based violence cases.
This comes after the Camperdown Regional Court sentenced a father, 42, to 15 years’ imprisonment and deemed him unfit to possess a firearm. His name will also be placed on the National Register for Sexual Offences.
The suspect was arrested on June 19 in the Bhamshela area; he appeared before the Camperdown Magistrate’s Court on June 20 and was remanded in custody.
It is alleged that the day before the court appearance, he kidnapped the toddler, and during a search by the community, he was allegedly seen leaving the child at a tavern.
The father is accused of raping and impregnating his biological daughter in July 2018, when she was 17.
The accused had stayed with his children, including the victim, in the Hammarsdale area after their mother had left.
He pleaded guilty to the rape and impregnation of his daughter.
“Forensic DNA evidence was also presented in court confirming that he was the biological father of a child born out of raping his daughter,” the department said.
A statement presented to the court by the father’s defence detailed how he raped his daughter.
According to the statement, the father had been consuming alcohol and later went into a bedroom where his daughter was ironing his clothes.
He pushed her on to the bed and raped her while threatening to injure her if she made any noise. After he had finished raping his daughter, he instructed her to take a bath.
In February 2019, he noticed that his daughter was gaining weight and he asked a relative to take her to a clinic, which confirmed the pregnancy.
MEC Khoza said that giving harsher sentences to perpetrators of gender-based violence would go a long way to restore confidence in justice.
“It is shocking that we have fathers who have lost their moral standing and they find solace in dehumanising other human beings. We are happy that law enforcement agencies have done a wonderful job in this case to avoid any miscarriages of justice,” Khoza said.
She said it was pleasing to see courts being consistent in sentencing those who violate the rights of women and children.
Khoza also urged citizens to unite in action against such crimes and intensify efforts to liberate women and children from the escalating spate of abuse.
It was distasteful to note that people who are supposed to protect women, children and the elderly from any form of abuse sometimes become perpetrators of such crimes, she said.
“Perpetrators of gender-based crimes, particularly violence against women, children and the elderly, should have no place in society. We are relying on the justice cluster in dealing with such crimes. We welcome the support that has been given to the victim following her ordeal,” Khoza said.
It was only in 2020 that the victim opened a case with the police and, frustrated with its progress, she took to social media pleading for help and sharing her story.
The case dates back to 2020 when the Thuleleni Crime and Substance Awareness Organisation was made aware of the case and assisted the victim to open a case.
The department came to know about the case and provided psycho-social support to the victim and child.
Daily News