BY DAN MDLULI
KwaMhlanga : A 35 year-old man was on Thursday, 08 April 2021, sentenced to life imprisonment for rape of a minor by the Mkobola Regional Court. The man’s hefty sentencing by the court emanated from the rape of his 10 year-old niece on Christmas Eve in 2019. The sentencing came after details were heard on how the minor became a victim at the hands of a man who was supposed to protect her. It is said that on 24 December 2019, he preyed on the little girl at the time when her mother and grandparents were not home and he was entrusted with looking after her.. The court heard that the girl was playing in the veranda when the uncle called her to his room at the back of the main house. The girl reportedly refused. The uncle then dragged her to his room, tied her with a rope and repeatedly raped her. The girl later escaped after begging him to let her go get food. The court further heard that her mother came back worried and when she could not find her daughter in the main house as well as her uncle. She then went to her neighbours to look for her without success. The mother got back to the house and was shocked by the sight of her daughter walking in a strange way. The girl then related the story to her mother. The minor was taken to the doctor where it was confirmed that she was raped. The uncle tried to convince the girl’s mother not to lay charges against him but the matter was reported to the police. The uncle went into hiding at one of his family members. However, his family sought justice and handed him over to the police. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and his particulars will also be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders. The court found him to be unfit to work with children and he will also be entered into the National Child Protection Register. Mpumalanga police management said they noticed with concern the moral decay in the society where adults entrusted with a responsibility to protect and care for children, molest them instead. The management further thanked the family for handing him over and applauded the work done by the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offenses Unit (FCS), the prosecution as well as the judiciary for their resilience in the case which saw the uncle getting a hefty sentence.
