Cape Town – A father, who pleaded guilty to raping his 11-year-old daughter and told the court he was “possessed by demons”, has reportedly been sentenced to 24 years behind bars.
According to reports, the 37-year-old father admitted that he raped his daughter between August 2020 and November 2021.
The Sasolburg Regional Court in the Free State sentenced the man from Zamdela to 24 years behind bars.
The National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Phaladi Shuping, said the father admitted to raping his daughter when the mother was not at home, reported TimesLIVE.
“The father, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, started raping the complainant when she 11 years old,” the report quoted Shuping as saying.
The mother noticed that her daughter’s school performance had dropped and her behaviour at home had changed, said Shuping.
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After the daughter confided in her mother what her father had been doing to her, the mother then reported the incident to the police, the report said.
The defence said the accused showed remorse by pleading guilty and asked for a lesser sentence.
However, Shuping said that although the accused pleaded guilty, he did not take responsibility for the abuse, instead, he claimed to have been possessed by “demons”, reported News24.
“The father admitted that he had been raping his daughter, but he blamed the incidents on demons and told the court demons possessed him. The medical examination of the daughter confirmed that she had been violated,” the report quoted Shuping as saying.
Shuping said that in addition to the 24-year sentence, Magistrate Phumzile Ngewu ordered that the accused be included in the National Register for Sex offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
