Bloemfontein – A 46-year-old father from Botshabelo in the Free State was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Regional Court for raping his 11-year-old daughter towards the end of 2015. Police spokesperson Sergeant Martin Xuma said the father had fetched his daughter from his sister's house in Botshabelo on 17 December 2015 for a shopping spree. Upon their return to the house around 8pm, the sister was upset that her brother had only bought clothes for his own daughter and not for her child as well.
The sister then chased her brother and his daughter from the house, at which point the father requested to sleep over at a nearby house.
The following day neighbours noticed that the child was "walking awkwardly and upon interrogation, noticed that something was not right".
According to Xuma, the matter was reported to the police and a social worker was contacted to interview the 11-year-old girl.
"She told the social worker that her own father raped her during the night.
A case of rape was opened for investigation and assigned to Detective Constable Matilda Liutlwileng from Selosesha FCS (Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences) Unit.
"Liutlwileng thoroughly took statements from the witnesses and presented them before court. Her thorough investigation ensured that the father was convicted and then sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday."
Free State Police Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Lebeoana Tsumane, welcomed the sentencing as it came at a time when the South African government was raising awareness through the 16 days of activism campaign against violence against women and children.