Pretoria - The Nelspruit Sexual Offences Court has convicted and sentenced a 34-year-old man from Masoyi to 22 years of direct imprisonment for raping his biological daughter aged 17.
Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Mpumalanga, Monica Nyuswa, said in April 2019, the victim was summoned to visit her grandparents’ home, so her father could perform some rituals for her.
“She left her mother’s place, where she was living, and went to the place of her granny, who she found alone, and she was instructed to wait for the father,” said Nyuswa.
She said the father arrived late, without the items required for the ritual. The teenager had to be accompanied back to her mother’s place, as she could not sleep over.
“The father offered to accompany her back, and along the way, near Mahushu grave site, he threatened her with a firearm, instructed her to undress, and raped her using a condom,” said Nyuswa.
She said the teenager reported the incident a month later, and her father was arrested.
In court, he pleaded guilty, as the State had overwhelming evidence against him.
“The victim testified in aggravation of sentence and informed the court that she was disappointed and scared of her father’s actions.
“Regional prosecutor John Mahlwele submitted to the court that offences of this nature are prevalent in this country, where victims are raped by their fathers who are supposed to protect and care for them,” said Nyuswa.
The court sentenced the father to 22 years direct imprisonment.
Director of Public Prosecutions in Mpumalanga, Nkebe Kanyane, has condemned violence against women and children.
She welcomed the sentence, and attributed it to the ongoing collaborative efforts of the justice cluster in maintaining law and order.
IOL