Cape Town – A 36-year-old man had been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the Botshabelo Regional Court in Bloemfontein for raping his 10-year-old niece.
According to a statement by the Free State police, the accused was sentenced on Tuesday following an incident that took place on December 7, 2015. It is said that on December 6, 2015, a 27-year-old mother left her daughter in Section T, Botshabelo, in the care of the uncle and her stepdad when she went to collect her daughter's school transfer forms in Ficksburg.
According to police spokesperson, Sergeant Martin Xuma, the mother was told by the school that she would receive the transfer after two days, meaning she would have to wait before receiving it and going back to Botshabelo.
On December 8, 2015, the mother arrived at her house and upon bathing her daughter she noticed that she had reddish scars on her private parts.
Xuma said the daughter told her mother that on December 7, at about 13:00, she told her uncle that she was hungry as the stepdad was not around.
"The uncle closed the door, undressed her and raped the 10-year old niece," Xuma said.
"A case of rape was opened for investigation and assigned to Detective Constable Morake Tloome of Selosesha Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit," he said. "His thorough investigation led to the conviction and sentencing of the accused."