A 31-year-old man from the Northern Cape has been sentenced to life imprisonment for sexual assault accompanied by grievous bodily harm (GBH) and robbery with aggravating circumstances, involving his maternal aunt, who is his mother’s sister.
The court learned that on the night of December 17, 2020, the nephew, who was residing with his aunt, returned home late and found her already in bed.
He entered her room and initiated a violent assault, choking her until she lost consciousness.
“Rape should be viewed as a societal scourge. Women and children must be protected by the courts,” a State Prosecutor Solly Sass argued during the hearing.
Sass further emphasized the disturbing aspect of the case, wherein the perpetrator raped his own aunt, who is also his mother’s sister.
“He should have been the one protecting her, not the perpetrator of such a crime on his aunt,” Sass submitted to the court.
Throughout the trial, the court heard about the role the aunt played in her nephew’s life, including assisting with his upbringing and providing him shelter by accommodating him at her residence in Fraserburg.
Also Read: South Africa Ranked Seventh Highest in Global Organised Crime Index
During the sentencing hearing, it was revealed that the nephew had two prior convictions for rape. The State argued that there were no substantial or compelling reasons for the court to deviate from the minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
Consequently, the court sentenced the perpetrator to life imprisonment for the rape charge, with the judge declaring him unfit to possess a firearm.
In addition to the life sentence, the court imposed a 15-year prison term for the robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
