‘She Was Scared’: Limpopo Man Arrested for Allegedly Raping 15-Year-Old Stepdaughter

A 43-year-old man is expected to appear in the Gilead Periodical Court on Monday, charged with the repeated rape of his 15-year-old stepdaughter. The arrest, carried out in the early hours of Saturday, 14 February, follows a complaint lodged by a relative after the teenager finally found the courage to speak.

According to provincial police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, the victim disclosed the abuse to her mother on Wednesday, 12 February. She alleged that the rapes had been ongoing since 27 December 2025, with the most recent incident occurring on 31 January 2026.

But instead of going to the police, the mother remained silent.

“It is alleged that the victim’s mother was scared to report her husband to the police,” Ledwaba said.

The teenager then turned to a relative, who immediately alerted authorities. A rape case was registered, and a tracing operation led to the suspect’s arrest at his home in Rebone RDP Section 2.

A Pattern of Silence

The case highlights a devastating dynamic common in family-based sexual violence: the abuser is often a figure of authority within the household, and the non-offending parent may feel trappedby fear, financial dependence, or emotional manipulation.

In this instance, it was a relative, not the mother, who broke the silence and brought the matter to police.

Life for a Father Who Raped His Daughter

The arrest follows a separate but equally harrowing case in which the Sibasa Regional Court sentenced a 39-year-old Zimbabwean national to life imprisonment for raping his 13-year-old biological daughter in Phiphidi village, outside Thohoyandou.

The man had brought the child from Zimbabwe in August 2020 for a school holiday. Instead of care, she received assault. He began raping her almost immediately upon arrival, threatening to abandon her in South Africa if she told anyone. He isolated her from other children.

A neighbour noticed the child’s unusual behaviour and alerted police. She was referred to the Tshilidzini Thuthuzela Care Centre, a specialised facility for rape victims.

During sentencing, the court heard a Victim Impact Report detailing the profound betrayalthe accused was not a stranger, but her father. The state argued that there were “no substantial and compelling circumstances” to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.

The court agreed. The man’s name was also added to the National Sexual Offenders Register.

The NPA’s Response

The National Prosecuting Authority in Limpopo welcomed the life sentence, describing it as just punishment for a “grave offence” involving the abuse of trust and authority.

In the Steiloop Gilead case, the NPA will now determine whether similar charges and sentencing provisions apply. The suspect remains in custody pending his Monday court appearance.

The Deeper Wound

Both cases expose a truth South Africa is reluctant to confront: for many children, the greatest danger is not on the street, but in their own home. The abuser is often someone they know, someone they trust, someone who should protect them.

When a mother is too scared to report her husband, the child is left with nowhere to turn. That the Steiloop Gilead teenager found a relative willing to act may have saved her lifeor at least, her future.

Police investigations are continuing. The court will now decide whether the stepfather who allegedly betrayed that trust faces the full weight of the law.

{Source: IOL}

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