Trusted family friend gets two life terms for raping girl, 11

A Northern Cape man entrusted by a family around their children has been sentenced to two life terms for raping their daughter in their home while they were sleeping.

The rapist, 36, was convicted and sentenced by the Galeshewe regional court in the Northern Cape on Wednesday on two counts of rape that happened on two occasions in May 2022.

During the time, the man was staying with the family of the victim as he was a family friend they had known for many years. The family trusted him as he helped raise their children, said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Northern Cape division spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane.

They even trusted him to share a bedroom with the four children where he slept on the floor due to limited space in the house, and felt sorry for him for having to share the room, Senokoatsane said.

However, on May 1 2022 he raped one of the girls, aged 11 at the time. The rapist was aged 34. He then raped her again the next day.

“Both rape incidents happened at the victim’s parental home while the rest of the family was sleeping in the house. The victim informed her mother and her stepfather about what the accused had done to her. The matter was reported to the police and the accused was arrested,” Senokoatsane said.

The daughter was taken for medical examinations which confirmed the rape injuries, and DNA tests were also taken. The man was arrested and remained in custody during trial, where he pleaded not guilty.

During the trial, the victim testified through intermediary services on how the rape had affected her life. In the victim impact statement, her mother explained how the accused was a fatherly figure to her children and how he betrayed their hospitality and trust by assaulting their child.

In his testimony, the accused denied ever sexually assaulting the child. However, after the forensic analyst testified on behalf of the state, state advocate Shareen Theresa argued that the evidence against the accused was overwhelming.

Theresa argued that the victim remained a good witness despite being a minor and a single witness to the incident.

“In sentencing, the court found the accused guilty on both counts and sentenced him to a life imprisonment for each of the two rape counts.”

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