Tonga - A 23-year-old man convicted of raping an 80-year-old Mpumalanga woman was sentenced to 20 years in jail by the Tonga Regional Court on Thursday.
Handing down sentence, senior magistrate Edgar Moletsane said it was difficult to understand why Leonard Moffett Nkuna, of Mdladla Trust near Malalane, targeted an old woman, who was his grandmother's friend, a Sapa correspondent reported.
“I will give you the sentence that will suit your age, the community and the victim as well. In this case, the gogo never got serious injuries and she was not killed, but the incident has killed her mind,” Moletsane told Nkuna.
“Your sentence will make the victim feel free in her community.”
Nkuna was arrested on September 15, 2012, and pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape. He released on R1000 bail, which was revoked after his conviction on Tuesday.
“Why of all the women did you decide to rape your gogo's friend? What exactly attracted a young man to a very old woman?” Moletsane asked.
“You were supposed to protect her, but instead you humiliated her sexually and took advantage of the fact that she stays alone.”
The court heard previously that Nkuna had two previous convictions. In 2007 he was convicted of housebreaking and theft and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. The following year he was convicted of animal cruelty and sentenced to six months' imprisonment or a R1000 fine.
Sapa