KZN man jailed for life after raping daughter and sexually assaulting niece

A 45-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Empangeni Regional Court after he was found guilty of repeatedly raping his daughter and sexually assaulting his niece.

Who, what and when

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the man was convicted for raping his biological daughter on three occasions and for the sexual assault of his niece. The children were aged 10 and five years old when the offences occurred between 2020 and 2022.

Sentence and legal findings

The court handed the defendant a life sentence for the rape convictions and an additional eight-year prison sentence for sexual assault. The NPA said the sentences were ordered to run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of life imprisonment.

The man was declared unfit to possess a firearm and unsuitable to work with children. The court also ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.

How the offences came to light

According to NPA regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the matter was discovered when a cousin became suspicious and followed one of the children to the father’s bedroom.

“The cousin knocked on the door and told the child that her granny was calling her. When the door was opened, the cousin observed that the child’s clothes were crumpled. She reported the matter to her mother. The child then disclosed that her father had raped her,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

The family later learned about the sexual assault of the niece. The incidents were reported to the police and the children were taken to the Ngwelezane Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for medical and psychosocial assistance.

Evidence and victim impact

During the trial, prosecutor Edwina du Plessis led the evidence of six witnesses, which the NPA said included the children, those who received the first reports, and the medical doctor who examined the children. In aggravation of sentence, the State submitted Victim Impact Statements compiled by the children and facilitated by court preparation officer Seneliso Sibanda.

Ramkisson-Kara quoted the first child’s Victim Impact Statement:

“In her statement, the first child said that she could not understand why her father would want to rape her. She said that what he did was immoral and unacceptable in society,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

The NPA said the niece had said she had expected her uncle to protect and care for her.

NPA statement and support services

The NPA reiterated its commitment to combating sexual offences and gender-based violence and to ensuring justice for survivors. The authority highlighted the role of Thuthuzela Care Centres, noting the network had expanded from 55 centres in 2020/2021 to 66 centres across the country.

According to the NPA, Thuthuzela Care Centres provide integrated medical, legal and psychosocial services to survivors of sexual violence and contribute to the prosecution of offenders.