The Groblersdal Regional Court sentenced a rapist businessman to life imprisonment and an additional eight years for sexual assault. Picture Credits: CapricornFM
By Montsho Matlala
Groblersdal: A businessman convicted of raping his girlfriend’s minor daughter was slapped with life imprisonment by the Groblersdal Regional Court recently.
The 40-year-old was also sentenced to an additional eight years for sexual assault after he fondled a minor customer, said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in Limpopo, Mashudu Malabi.
The court heard the man raped a 15-year-old girl, who is the daughter of his girlfriend, in his house at Vezinyao village in Dennilton near Groblersdal.
The girl was sent by her mother to the accused’s house to collect relish, but before giving her, he instructed her to lie on the bedroom floor and raped her. When he had finished, he threatened to hang or make her disappear in case she disclosed to anyone, including her mother, about the sexual encounter. But the victim eventually spilt the beans.
In the second incident, a 13-year-old schoolgirl came to the man’s shop to buy a soft drink, but he came closer and began touching her breasts and thighs inappropriately. He then pulled down her skirt, but she managed to run out of the shop and report the incident to her school principal. The matter was ultimately reported to the police, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
Although he pleaded not guilty to the charges, the DNA and medical reports provided evidence linking him to the offences.
In aggravation of sentence, the state prosecutor Raesibe Malatji presented the Victim Impact Report compiled by a social worker, highlighting the emotional and psychological trauma experienced by both victims. This led to the court sentencing him to a life term and eight years’ imprisonment.
The accused’s names would, however, remain withheld to protect the identities of the two minor girls and to avoid secondary victimisation, Malabi added.
