Five-year-old KZN child describes being ‘sad all the time’ after being raped by her cousin, accused jailed for life
A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the horrific rape of his five-year-old cousin in KZN.
Image: File picture
The Esikhawini Regional Court has imposed a sentence of life imprisonment on a 35-year-old man for the rape of his 5-year-old cousin in the Mpembeni area in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The accused and the victim were neighbours and the incident took place in in September 2023. The crime occurred when the young complainant visited the accused’s house after school to wait for her mother, who was running errands.
Following the departure of the accused’s mother, the man took the child to a nearby rondavel where the rape took place.
Upon the arrival of her, the child ran to her mother and reported the incident. The victim was subsequently taken to the Ngwelezane Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for medico-legal and psychosocial assistance. The accused was later apprehended at his homestead. He is bot being named to protect the identity of the child.
During sentencing, Prosecutor Kamogelo Mahila Nkwatle presented a Victim Impact Statement (VIS), facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Ntombi Chonco.
The statement revealed the deep emotional impact on the child, noting that she was “happy” prior to the incident but is now “sad all the time.”
Nkwatle emphasised the breach of trust, stating that the accused, as an older relative, was expected to protect the complainant and he stated that the man demonstrated no remorse for his actions.
In its judgment, the court found the accused unsuitable to work with children and declared him unfit to possess a firearm. The court further ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson for KZN, commented on the outcome and the broader fight against sexual violence.
“The NPA’s fight against the scourge of sexual violence has been aided by the expansion of the TCC footprint across the country,” she stated.
TCCs, which provide comprehensive services and support to victims, have grown from 55 centres in 2020/2021 to 66 currently.
Ramkisson-Kara concluded, “Together with our partners in the justice cluster, we will pursue justice for the victims of crime.”