Father sentenced to life for raping mentally challenged daughter
Eastern Cape court delivers life sentence in shocking child sexual abuse case.
Image: File
A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his 19-year-old mentally challenged daughter.
The man pleaded guilty in the Sterkspruit Regional Court in the Eastern Cape this week.
The rape incident took place on August 18, 2024, at Joveleni Village in Herschel.
The NPA said in his guilty plea that the father said on the day of the rape, he asked the victim to accompany him from Joveleni Village to Mangweni Village to check his colleague's identity documents.
"On their return, he asked her to have sex with him and, when she refused, he overpowered her and raped her near the bushes," said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali.
The man then threatened to kill her if she told anyone.
The victim disclosed the assault first to her uncle and later to her aunt, after which the matter was reported to the police. He was arrested in September 2024.
During sentencing, Regional Court Prosecutor Anele Magibile emphasised that the father exploited his daughter's intellectual disability and violated the trust placed in him as a parent.
The court ruled that he is prohibited from owning a firearm and instructed that his details be recorded in the National Register for Sex Offenders.
The Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Barry Madolo, praised the prosecution team for successfully securing justice for the victim.
"This life sentence sends a strong message that the justice system will not tolerate those who violate and exploit the most vulnerable members of our society. It reinforces our commitment to combating gender-based violence in all its forms," said Mr Madolo.
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