Cape Town – A 44-year-old Mpumalanga man who reportedly raped his 16-year old mentally ill neighbour, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Piet Retief Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
According to IOL, the incident occurred on the night of December 24, 2019, when the older man, who cannot be named for the sake of the victim, was working as a DJ at a traditional ceremony that the victim also attended.
“The accused offered to take the minor [to the] neighbour[‘s] home after the ceremony. He then lured the victim to an open veld, ordered her to undress and proceeded to rape her,” the report quoted the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Mpumalanga provincial spokesperson Monica Nyuswa as saying.
The victim disclosed the unfortunate incident to her family and subsequently, a case was opened against the perpetrator.
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According to News24, the victim testified through an intermediary, where she told the court that the rape occurred after everyone had left the ceremony.
The state also represented the court with the victim’s impact statement which indicated that the incident affected the victim physically and psychologically.
“The medical evidence was presented in court as part of the state’s case. The clinical psychologist also presented evidence that showed that the victim suffered from a severe mental disability,” the report quoted Nyuswa as saying.
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Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo
