A 48-year-old man from the Ngobodweni area in KwaCeza will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being found guilty of raping his eight-year-old neighbour in October 2023.
The Ulundi Regional Court in Northern KwaZulu-Natal handed down the sentence on January 29, ensuring justice for the young victim and sending a strong message against crimes of this nature.
Detectives from the Ulundi Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit worked tirelessly to bring the perpetrator to justice.
"The accused, who cannot be named because the minor victim was his neighbour, met the young girl on October 11, 2023, when she was on her way to his home to play with her friends. The man dragged the unsuspecting girl to the nearby bushes where he raped her," said police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda.
Tragically, the ordeal did not end there. Just three days later, while the girl was playing with friends at the man’s home, he called her inside and raped her again.
Despite the trauma, the young girl reported the incidents to her elders, who immediately alerted the police. The case was taken seriously, leading to a successful conviction.
Netshiunda confirmed that the accused was found guilty on both counts of rape, and for his crime, he was condemned to two terms of life behind prison walls.
"The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm, and his name will be engraved on the National Register for Sex Offenders." said Netshiunda.
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