Durban - A 30-year-old woman was sentenced by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court on Tuesday to 10 years’ imprisonment for the rape of a 13-year-old boy.
In addition, the magistrate ordered that her name be entered in the register for sex offenders and that she not be allowed to work with children.
The name of the woman has not been printed to protect the identity of the boy, who is her neighbour.
Director of public prosecutions spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the rape took place in May 2013 in Dalton.
On the day of the crime, the woman had left her cellphone at the boy’s house to charge as she did not have electricity at her house. When he returned the cellphone to her at her home, she told him that he had to have sexual intercourse with her. He refused and she then threatened to beat him if he did not comply.
She removed her clothing and demanded he do the same. She then raped him. Afterwards, the woman told him to get dressed and leave through the back door. The boy went to his house and told his grandmother what had happened.
It was argued on the woman's behalf that she was a young single mother with children. She had been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the rape and this had impaired her judgement.
State prosecutor Richard Mkhize countered that being a mother, she should have known better. He said the woman showed no remorse for her actions. Neither had she taken any responsibility for them. This had subjected the boy to secondary trauma because he had to testify in court and relive his entire ordeal.
Director of public prosecutions, advocate Moipone Noko, welcomed the sentence.
“This serves as a warning to like-minded individuals that rape is a serious offence committed by both men and women, and the punishment is equally serious,” Noko said.
The Mercury