Life in prison for rapist dad

A man has been sentenced to life in prison for raping his daughter for most of her teen years and later fathering a child with her.

A man has been sentenced to life in prison for raping his daughter for most of her teen years and later fathering a child with her.

Published May 18, 2012

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A Ravensmead father has been sentenced to life in prison for raping his daughter for most of her teen years and later fathering a child with her.

The father, whose identity is being withheld to protect his daughter, was sentenced in the Parow Regional Court on Thursday.

Magistrate Amanda von Leeve found that no exceptional or compelling circumstances existed to justify a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment for the rape of a minor.

The man’s daughter, now 22, was 10 when the series of rapes started. He had forced himself on her for about four years before the matter was reported and he was charged.

The man spent 18 months in jail, but was freed after the case was withdrawn.

No reason for the withdrawal was noted in court.

Von Leeve convicted the father of two counts of rape and one of indecent assault last Friday.

The father had repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted his daughter between 2000 and 2007 in Blackheath and Kuils River.

It stopped for a while, but the rapes continued from March 2008 to March 2011 – the same month the father was recharged and held in custody.

“I am always afraid. I always waited for him (the man) to sleep before I could. I still have nightmares. I dream he will kill my mother and I. I feel like a disgrace and an embarrassment to society,” the woman said in a victim impact report that was handed in as evidence.

While sentencing the father, Von Leeve said he showed no remorse and must have realised that rape was wrong after his first rape conviction about 20 years ago.

His name will be added to the national registry for sexual offenders.

The child conceived during the rapes is now five years old and living with her mother.

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