Life imprisonment for man who raped his niece
A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to life behind bars for raping his 8-year-old niece in KwaZulu-Natal in December 2019.
The man was convicted in the Verulam Regional Court.
The incident took place when the young girl was visiting her grandmother’s house in Ndwendwe for a weekend.
The convicted rapist took the minor to a nearby shop where he bought her chips and a lollipop.
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He then asked her to accompany him to his house.
On the way, he led her to a river where he raped her and gave her R2 with the promise of R100 if she did not tell anyone what he had done.
However, the young victim returned to her grandmother’s house and reported the incident immediately.
Regional Court Prosecutor, Ishara Sewnarain, led the testimonies of the child’s mother and aunt, as the grandmother had passed away prior to the trial.
KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Natasha Kara, says during the trial the state also submitted a victim impact statement compiled by the child and facilitated by court preparation officer, Bongiwe Qwabe.
“In the statement the child said that she was embarrassed by her experience as her peers teased her about it. She also said that she hated her uncle for what he had done,” says Kara.
