Durban - A sexual predator who raped a 13-year-old boy on three occasions during school holidays – saying he was only being “naughty” – was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment on Wednesday.
Bluff resident, Lucky Mhlongo, 35, who had previously been convicted on four counts of sexual assault, pleaded guilty in the Durban Regional Court to the rape of the schoolboy.
His name will now be entered in the national register for sex offenders.
He told magistrate Stanley Hlophe, in his written guilty plea, that he had made arrangements with the boy’s family, whom he had previously lived with, to allow the teenager to come over to his place during the school holidays in June last year.
He said the family was friends with him and there were no issues with the teenager staying over for a few days.
“The boy was staying in the same room as me. After returning from work at night I would take off his pants. I then took my clothes off and…(raped)… him.
“The boy complained and said it was painful. I did it again the next day. A total of three days,” said Mhlongo.
The boy reported the incident to his parents.
During mitigation of sentence, prosecutor Shayna Naidoo told the court society despised rape and other sexual offences which had gripped South Africa.
“Rape is an invasion of a person’s dignity, privacy and rights. These rights (are) the ethos to any society and civilisation.
“The rape of a child is appalling and utterly terrifying,” she said.
“The brutality meted out to defenceless children has no place in our society. It’s for this reason we have specialised courts to prioritise these offences.”
Hlophe said sexual offences had become a cancer in society.
Referring to the 16 days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children which began on Tuesday, the magistrate said: “The community is frowning and getting sick of this (crime) which is happening on a daily basis… South Africans are saying this is enough. The president (Jacob Zuma) even said so in an address. Sexual offences (are) a cancer in our society and of great concern.”
Hlophe said Mhlongo could not even tell the court why he raped the boy. “There was no liquor involved, no drugs. He just said he was being naughty,” he said.
“He also had a previous conviction for four counts of sexual assault for which he was sentenced to eight years imprisonment.
“He may well have got life imprisonment but the court has considered that he came with open arms and admitted to committing his offence on more than one occasion while only being charged with one count of rape.”
Mhlongo had served three and a half years of his eight-year sentence, being released in 2005.
At the time, the legislation enabling a sex offenders register had not been enacted.
The court also declared Mhlongo unfit to possess a firearm.
Childline KZN director Vanespiri Pillay, who expressed concern at the alarming increase of child rape and sexual abuse, welcomed the tough stance taken by the courts.
“The sexual offences is all too prevalent in our society today. In about 90 percent of cases, the perpetrators are known to the child.
“Perpetrators comprise mainly of family members, neighbours and persons of power and authority within the community,” said Pillay.
“There has been an emergence of older men who shower teenagers with material gifts in exchange for sexual favours and an increase in teenage pregnancy. These are very concerning.
“But it is very encouraging to see the courts handing out stiff sentences to all perpetrators of a sexual nature.
“We absolutely welcome these harsh sentences be it on children, females and even males.”
Daily News