Northern Cape man sentenced to life for raping his elderly grandmother
A 35-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his 72-year-old grandmother
Image: Independent Newspapers
A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Mothibistad Regional Court for raping his 72-year-old grandmother, in a harrowing case that has shocked the Kagung Village community.
The incident occurred on September 12, 2020, when the then 29-year-old man was living with his grandmother, who had raised him from infancy.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the grandmother was bathing in her bedroom using the same water the accused had previously used for a herbal bath.
The accused, driven by what he described as a sudden "feeling," entered her bedroom and raped her.
The elderly victim, who uses a walking stick, managed to flee and sought help from a neighbour. Police were called, and the accused was arrested shortly thereafter.
Senokoatsane confirmed that the victim received ongoing support from the Kuruman Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC), especially after the case was struck off the roll in 2021 due to delayed DNA results.
"The TCC ensured that the victim was checked on and provided with all the psychological assistance she needed until the matter was re-enrolled," said Senokoatsane.
Medical examination revealed that the victim suffered internal injuries and was bleeding, despite no longer menstruating. She later testified that she struggled to walk and experienced intense pain after the rape.
During sentencing, Prosecutor Bernice Bronkhorst-Oor emphasised that the accused displayed no remorse and was dishonest in his testimony. She said the accused was a danger to society and had to be removed from society.
The court found the accused’s version of events implausible and ruled there were no compelling reasons to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence.
He was further declared unfit to possess a firearm or to work with older persons. His name has also been added to the National Register for Sex Offenders.
It also emerged during sentencing that the man had a prior rape conviction from 2008, committed while he was still a minor.
He had received a wholly suspended sentence in 2015 for that offence. At the time of this sentencing, he was also in custody for another pending rape charge involving the girlfriend of a friend, whom he allegedly attacked after a night out at a tavern.
“All cases of sexual violence encroach on the rights to dignity and privacy of the victims as enshrined in our Constitution,” said Senokoatsane.
“The NPA aggressively prosecutes these cases. Successful prosecution of these cases provides some justice and closure to the victims and their families and removes violent criminals from our streets.”
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