Rapist gets life for brutal attack on girl

Stephen "Foxy" Isaacs. Photo: Daily Voice

Stephen "Foxy" Isaacs. Photo: Daily Voice

Published May 25, 2012

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Serial child rapist Stephen “Foxy” Isaacs has been locked up for life.

The paedophile was on Thursday sentenced to prison after he was found guilty of kidnapping, raping and leaving an innocent nine-year-old girl for dead.

Cheers and applause rang out from the packed gallery at the Western Cape High Court as the damning verdict was read out.

 

Outside on the steps of the court, the little girl’s parents wept and hugged each other as their nightmare finally ended.

Earlier, Judge Lee Bozalek told Isaacs that he should not be considered for parole until he served at least 25 years of his sentence.

Bozalek said no amount of time in jail would make up for the trauma the girl suffered when Isaacs, 41, dragged her into bushes and brutally raped her before strangling her.

“Any rape of a minor child is a shocking and extremely serious offence,” Bozalek said.

“The circumstances of the rape in the present case are, however, especially shocking.

“The child was nine years old when you attempted to force her to perform a sexual act upon you.

“When she refused, you beat her with your fists and at some stage sadistically and repeatedly burnt her with a lit cigarette.

 

“Either before or after you had eventually satisfied your lust by raping the child you decided to kill her, no doubt to eliminate her as the only witness to your crimes.

“Miraculously the child recovered… tragically, the viciousness of your assault upon the child resulted in her sustaining what appears to be permanent brain injuries.

“Her childhood, if not her life, has been blighted by you.”

He said that even though the law says a sentenced prisoner can apply for parole when he turns 65, he would make a note on Isaacs’ file that this should not apply to him.

“Based on the evidence which I have heard, you should not even be considered for parole before you have served 25 years of your sentence of life imprisonment,” he said.

Isaacs showed no emotion as he was led away.

 

They said…

Judge Lee Bozalek:

“You strangled this defenceless child with your bare hands and left her for dead. It is clear you are a hardened, dangerous and violent sexual predator who preys upon children without any apparent trace of conscience.”

Victim’s mother:

“The sentence he got is nothing compared to what my child went through. My child will suffer for the rest of her life. When we told her that he was found guilty, you could see that she was relieved that the court believed her. It has given her some of her self-confidence back.”

Community leader Felicia Humphreys:

“We are very satisfied with judge’s decision. Justice has been served for the child and others out there [thinking of doing something similar] must watch out.”

 

The judgement

Judge Lee Bozalek threw the book at Stephen “Foxy” Isaacs on Thursday and told him that it was clear he could not be rehabilitated.

 

Kidnapping

“The minimum sentence for kidnapping is five years imprisonment and I can see no reason to deviate from this sentence,” Bozalek said.

 

Rape

“The principal question is whether there are any substantial or compelling circumstances which would justify a lesser sentence than life imprisonment… even if the minimum sentence legislation did not prescribe such a sentence, I consider the only appropriate sentence is one of life imprisonment.”

 

Attempted murder

“You have left her physically disabled and psychologically scarred for life. In my view the only appropriate sentence is a lengthy imprisonment reflecting the seriousness of the offence and its far-reaching consequences for [the girl and her family]. You are sentenced to 20 years.”

*This article was published in the Daily Voice

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