Stepfather jailed for life after rape

The name of a 45-year-old man who has been sentenced for raping his stepdaughter will be included in the National Register for Sex Offenders.

This decision follows a ruling by Magistrate Quvashini Nulliah, who sentenced the accused to life imprisonment for crimes committed in 2015.

The accused, whose name is withheld to protect the identity of the victim, was sentenced on 28 June. He resided in Phase 3, Bloemfontein.

Phaladi Shuping, regional spokes­person of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), said investigation had revealed that the accused had raped his 14-year-old mentally disabled stepdaughter more than once.

“The court heard that the incident happened in the shack where the complainant lived with her mother, other siblings and the stepfather. The complainant is the only child that is not the biological child of the accused,” Shuping said.

He said according to evidence presented in court, the first incident of rape took place while the victim was in the shack with the accused, and the second incident happened while the mother was sleeping.

“The complainant’s mother woke up and saw the accused raping the complainant. The mother did not report the incident.

“The complainant reported the incident to her teacher and the school nurse. The teacher and the nurse reported the matter to the police and the accused was arrested.”

Shuping said the accused had denied guilt and had said that the mother of the complainant had instructed the complainant to report false charges against him. He further claimed the victim liked making up stories.

“However, the state prosecutor, Ralie Eksteen, refuted these claims – saying that the mother could not have influenced her daughter to report false claims, because the matter was reported by the school teacher and nurse. Eksteen further stated that the mother had known about the rape, but did not report it.”

Eksteen presented the court with the victim’s impact statement, which was facilitated by Maggie Faas. The statement detailed how the incidents had affected the complainant, who had failed her grade three times as she was not coping at school.

“It will take the victim a long time to recover from this incident, because she does not accept help,” said Eksteen.

“She was betrayed by a person who was supposed to protect her and the only appropriate sentence that the court could impose on the accused is life imprisonment.”