Limpopo stepfather sentenced to life for raping stepdaughter while mother was next door

The Thabamoopo Regional Court in Limpopo has sentenced a 38-year-old to life imprisonment after being convicted of raping his 13-year-old stepdaughter.

The identity of the man has been withheld to protect the victim from secondary victimisation.

The court heard that the incident took place in January 2024 at Gedroogte village in Magatle.

On the day of the attack, the teenager and her mother were doing laundry while the accused worked in the garden. After finishing the washing, the mother left to charge her phone at a neighbour’s house, leaving the child alone with the man

“The victim went to bathe in her mother’s bedroom. The accused followed her and raped her,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Mashudu Malabi.

Malabi said after the ordeal, the teenager ran to her mother’s aunt and reported what had happened. The aunt accompanied her to the police station to open a case.

The man was arrested two days later and remained in custody until the conclusion of the trial.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

During sentencing proceedings, State Advocate Bertha Kotsedi argued that the matter fell within the ambit of Gender-Based Violence, which has been declared a national crisis in South Africa. She urged the court to impose a sentence that would serve as a deterrent to would-be offenders.

The State further submitted that the accused had shown no remorse and had violated his duty as a stepfather to protect the child. The court heard that the crime had caused significant psychological and emotional harm to the victim and her family, and that the man had violated the child’s right to safety and security in her own home.

Limpopo Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Ivy Thenga, said the conviction and life sentence would bring justice and closure to the victim and her family, while ensuring that a violent offender is removed from society.

She also commended advocate Kotsedi and the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Selolo, for their diligent work in securing the conviction.

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