A 46-year-old man was sentenced by the Ntuzuma Regional Court to life imprisonment for the rape of his stepdaughter between 2019 and 2022. Picture: FILE
Durban — A stepfather has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of his stepdaughter while the girl’s mother was working the night shift.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said: “The Ntuzuma Regional Court sentenced a 46-year-old man to life imprisonment for the rape of his stepdaughter between 2019 and 2022.”
The incidents happened in Inanda when the girl’s mother worked the night shift. The stepfather threatened the girl, so she did not divulge what was happening to her.
Ramkisson-Kara said the girl fell pregnant and her stepfather took her to buy medication that caused her to suffer a miscarriage. The girl’s mother noticed the girl showing signs of pregnancy and asked her what was going on. The girl later told her mother she was being raped by the accused. The accused had also confessed his actions to someone known to him, leading to his arrest.
The girl was taken to the Phoenix Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for medical and psycho-social assistance.
Ramkisson-Kara said that, in court, the State represented by prosecutor Senamile Mahlangu led the testimonies of the girl and her mother, and the person to whom the accused had confessed. The evidence of the J88 form and the testimony of the TCC doctor also formed part of the State’s case.
Additionally, Mahlangu handed in a Victim Impact Statement, compiled by the girl and facilitated by court preparation officer Princess Mlangeni. In her statement, the girl said the ordeal left her confused, angry and upset. She said that the accused had robbed her of her childhood.
“As part of the sentence, the court ordered that the accused’s name be entered into the National Register of Sex Offenders,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
The sentencing comes as South Africa observes Child Protection Month, which runs from May 5 to June 9.
Last week, KZN Department of Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza said this period served as a poignant reminder of the collective obligation to ensure the well-being and rights of children across the province, especially amid a concerning rise in cases of child abuse and neglect.
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